SC grants interim bail to Abbas Ansari in Gangster Act case
A bench, comprising justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, directed that Ansari would remain at his official residence in Lucknow and could not leave the state without prior permission from the trial judge
The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday granted interim bail to Uttar Pradesh legislator Abbas Ansari in a criminal case filed under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act while imposing stringent movement restrictions on him.
A bench, comprising justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, directed that Ansari would remain at his official residence in Lucknow and could not leave the state without prior permission from the trial judge. If he wished to visit his constituency in Mau, the bench said, he must obtain prior approval from both the trial court and the district police.
Additionally, the bench prohibited Ansari from making any public statements regarding the ongoing legal proceedings. The matter has been scheduled for review in six weeks, with the top court seeking a status report on the progress of the trial.
Representing Ansari, senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued that his client had already secured bail in other cases. He pointed out that a previous first information report (FIR), which contained similar allegations, was quashed by the Allahabad high court, although the court allowed the possibility of filing a fresh FIR if necessary. Sibal contended that the current case relied solely on police officers as witnesses, making it unlikely that Ansari could threaten them.
However, additional solicitor general KM Nataraj, representing the state, strongly opposed Ansari’s bail plea, citing his significant influence. Nataraj contended that Ansari posed a threat to society and could tamper with evidence or intimidate witnesses if released. He urged the bench to at least allow the examination of two or three key witnesses before considering bail.
In response, the bench questioned the indefinite incarceration of the accused, emphasising the need to balance criminal jurisprudence with victims’ rights. “How long will you keep him in jail? While we don’t want to rush the trial and risk injustice to victims, we must also ensure fairness to the accused,” observed the bench.
The bench then proceeded to grant interim bail while imposing movement restrictions on Ansari.
Ansari, the son of late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari who died in custody at the Banda jail in March last year, won the Mau assembly seat in 2022, previously held by his father for five terms. While authorities attributed Mukhtar’s death to a heart attack, his family alleged ‘slow poisoning’.
Ansari’s special leave petition in the top court challenged the Allahabad high court’s December 18, 2024 order rejecting his bail plea. The high court had denied bail on the grounds that he was allegedly part of a gang operating at the district level, had a history of criminal activity, and posed a risk of evidence tampering and witness intimidation.
Before approaching the Supreme Court, Ansari had initially sought bail from the apex court, but his plea was not entertained, and he was directed to first seek relief from the high court
