E-Paper
HC rejects Mukhtar Ansari’s bail plea in ambulance case
Appearing on behalf of the U.P. government, additional advocate general Vinod Kumar Shahi apprised the court about the long criminal history of Mukhtar Ansari
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has rejected the bail application of gangster-turned politician-Mukhar Ansari in a case concerning an ambulance registered in Barabanki district using fake documents.
The ambulance was used by Ansari and his henchmen when he was lodged in Rupnagar prison in Punjab. Ansari is currently in Banda prison in Uttar Pradesh.
A single judge bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh on July 19 observed: “Long criminal history of the accused-applicant (Mukhtar Ansari) of most heinous offences and looking at the facts of the case that the ambulance was allegedly being used to carry his men armed with illegal and sophisticated weapons for his protection, this court finds that there is no ground to enlarge the accused-applicant on bail.”
“The accused-applicant commands unparallel fear in minds and hearts of people that no one dares to challenge him and his men and his politics,” added the court. “If the accused-applicant is enlarged on bail, apprehension of the prosecution that he would tamper with evidence and influence witnesses cannot be ruled out,” observed the court.
“Considering all these aspects, this court finds no ground to enlarge the accused-applicant on bail. The bail application is accordingly rejected,” ordered the court. Appearing on behalf of the state government, additional advocate general Vinod Kumar Shahi apprised the court about the long criminal history of Mukhtar Ansari.
Shahi also apprised the court of how Ansari used his clout and muscle power to intimidate Dr Alka Rai of Mau district to get her signatures on blank letter pads of her hospital for purchasing the ambulance on forged documents and a fake address in Barabanki. He also told the court that Ansari and his henchmen were using the ambulance for ferrying sophisticated firearms.
After spending more than two years in prison in Punjab’s Rupnagar district, Ansari was brought back to Banda jail in Uttar Pradesh on April 7, 2021, by road. The ambulance was registered in Barabanki in December 2013 on a fake address in the name of Dr Alka Rai’s hospital in Mau.
It was being used by Ansari for commuting between a Mohali court and Rupnagar prison in Punjab. The Barabanki police had registered an FIR against Alka Rai and others on April 1, 2021. Ansari’s return to Banda jail was in compliance with a Supreme Court order of March 26, 2021, directing his transfer to Uttar Pradesh where he faces trials in several criminal cases.
