Mukhtar Ansari: Banda Jail Becomes Last Halt of Life, Convicting Him as Equal as Conquering Everest

Following Mukhtar Ansari’s demise in Banda jail, the grip of mafia influence loosened in Purvanchal. Mukhtar Ansari spent 19 years incarcerated, with numerous cases pending against him across various courts. He received life imprisonment in two cases and lesser penalties in others. Despite the challenges, the Yogi government persisted in its efforts, even resorting to legal battles up to the Supreme Court to transfer him from Ropar Jail in Punjab back to Uttar Pradesh. Witness intimidation posed a significant hurdle, but despite the shifting of jails, Mukhtar Ansari eventually faced trial in Banda jail. For the courts to convict and sentence him was as difficult as conquering Everest.

Mukhtar Ansari, aged 63, held significant sway in Purvanchal’s political landscape, which dwindled during the tenure of the Yogi Adityanath government. Continuous crackdowns targeted his criminal syndicate, resulting in convictions in numerous cases. Despite legal entanglements affecting his family, including his elder brother Afzal, a BSP MP from Ghazipur, Mukhtar Ansari’s political resurgence saw him becoming a candidate for the Samajwadi Party in Ghazipur once again.

Punishments in Specific Cases:

March 13, 2024: Mukhtar Ansari was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty in the fake license case. Sections 428, 467, 468 of the IPC and section 30 of the Arms Act were invoked, with a fine of Rs 2 lakh 2 thousand imposed.
15 December 2023: In the case involving threatening the Rungta family with a bomb, he received a five-year jail term and a fine of Rs 10,000.
5 June 2023: Life imprisonment was awarded in the famous Awadhesh Rai murder case.
29 April 2023: Ghazipur MP- MLA Court ASJ- IV sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh under the Gangster Act.
25 February 2023: ASJ South District Court sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5.55 lakh in a case registered in New Delhi under the Arms Act and 5-TADA Act.
15 December 2022: Ghazipur MP- MLA court sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh in another Gangster Act case.
21 September 2022: Allahabad High Court awarded punishment for threatening and preventing a government employee from working, resulting in two years’ imprisonment and fines under various sections.
23 September 2022: In the Gangster Act case registered at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow, Mukhtar Ansari was sentenced to two years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000.
Relief in Cases: (Retained original data, facts, and figures)

Mukhtar Ansari was acquitted by the Supreme Court on April 21, 2005, in a case registered in New Delhi under the Arms Act and 5-TADA Act.
On December 15, 2023, the sentence given by the MP-MLA court in the case of threatening the Rungta family was stayed. This decision was upheld by the court of the District Judge in charge on January 16, 2024.