The death came amid his family members’ claim that he was being slow-poisoned in jail
AMN/ WEB DESK
Jailed Don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died on Thursday night after he suffered a heart attack in the Banda jail. Ansari was taken to a hospital after his health deteriorated where he reportedly died.
People gathered at Ansari’s residence in Ghazipur as the news of his death spread.
DGP Prashant Kumar said as per the medical bulletin shared by the Banda Medical College, Mukhtar Ansari is dead. He was admitted to the hospital around 8.25pm. A team of nine doctors attended to him before he died.
Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which bars large gatherings, were imposed across Uttar Pradesh following Ansari’s death, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said. There is a special deployment of police personnel in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi districts, he added.
The death came amid his family members’ claim that he was being slow-poisoned in jail. Two days before, on Tuesday, Mukhtar Ansari was admitted to the same medical college when he complained of abdominal pain and was unable to pass stool for four consecutive days. At that time, he was discharged after 14 hours and sent back to Banda jail.
“Mukhtar said that he was given a poisonous substance in food in jail. This happened for the second time. Around 40 days ago also he was given poison. And recently on March 19 and March 22, he was again given this (poison) due to which his condition is bad,” Afzal, an MP from Ghazipur, said when his brother was recently hospitalised.
The UP prison department then issued a statement that after Mukhtar Ansari fell in the toilet at night, he was immediately provided with treatment by the jail doctor.
Mukhtar Ansari has been behind bars in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh since 2005. The 60-year-old don-turned-politician has over 60 criminal cases pending against him. He has been s
The Samajwadi Party condoled Ansari’s death. “Sad demise of former MLA Shri Mukhtar Ansari. May his soul rest in peace. May the bereaved family members get the strength to bear this immense loss. Humble tribute,” the party said in a post on X.entenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts of UP and was lodged in the Banda jail.