Following a physical verification of arms licences held by slain gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari and individuals associated with his IS-191 gang, which exposed serious irregularities, police registered five cases at two police stations in Ghazipur district.
Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari has been named in three of the five cases, for allegedly making the files related to issued licences disappear, which made physical verification of their current status impossible, police said on Wednesday.
Vaibhav Krishna, deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Varanasi Range, stated that the investigation followed a three-phase physical verification process. The audit covered 43 individuals including five members of the Ansari family, 11 gang members and associates, and 27 holders of suspected fake licences involving more than 80 weapons.
During the verification, authorities discovered that original files and purchase-sale records for numerous licences were missing from the Ghazipur District Magistrate’s office. DIG Krishna alleged a criminal conspiracy in which licence holders, in collusion with former arms clerks, orchestrated the disappearance of these files to conceal the actual condition and potential misuse of the weapons.
According to officials, Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari was named in three of the five cases, which involve allegations of criminal breach of trust regarding missing records.
{{/usCountry}}According to officials, Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari was named in three of the five cases, which involve allegations of criminal breach of trust regarding missing records.
{{/usCountry}}Details of cases
1. At the Ghazipur police station, a case was registered against Afzal Ansari, Asfaq Ahmed (a retired former arms clerk I) and Gaurishankar Ram (a former arms clerk II). They are accused of criminal breach of trust by allegedly making the original file and the purchase and sale records of rifle No. 830405 issued to Afzal Ansari disappear from the District Magistrate’s office in Ghazipur, thereby making physical verification of the rifle impossible. The licence holder did not provide a satisfactory reply to the notice.
2. At the Ghazipur police station, a separate case was registered against Afzal Ansari and a retired/deceased former arms clerk. They were booked on charges related to the sale of rifle No. 86 AB 1926, purchased under arms license No. 1241/P-II issued to Afzal Ansari, to Takan Ribar Brothers in Alang, Arunachal Pradesh. Additionally, no further sale record is available for revolver No. A-12741. They are accused of causing the disappearance of the original licence file and the relevant sale and purchase records.
3. A third case was registered against Afzal Ansari, Gaurishankar Lal (former weapons clerk I) and Sugreev Tiwari (a retired/deceased former weapons clerk II). They are charged with making the original licence file and the purchase and sale records of rifle No. 44657, purchased on Afzal Ansari’s arms licence No. 1188/P-II, disappear from the District Magistrate’s office, which made physical verification of the rifle impossible.
4. At the Kotwali police station in Ghazipur, a case was registered against Afsa Begum, Brijnarayan Ram (a retired/deceased former arms clerk/patel assistant I) and Bhishma Singh Yadav (a former desk assistant II). They are accused of causing the disappearance of purchase and sale documents from the District Magistrate’s office regarding revolver No. ABM-4299, issued to Afsa Begum under licence No. 1054/P-II, and revolver No. 682782. The licence holder is currently absconding.
5. A case was also registered against Mohd Shahid (an associate of the IS-191 gang), the then-inspector-in-charge of the Muhammadabad Police Station, and the then-Area Lekhpal of Muhammadabad. They are accused of helping Mohammad Shahid obtain arms licence no. 1383/P-II, dated April 28, 2001, using a fake address (Purani Kachehri, Police Station Muhammadabad) while concealing his actual address (Ward No. 04, Abdul Hameed Nagar, Saidpur). According to police, the then-station in-charge of Muhammadabad and the Lekhpal are accused of confirming the fake address without proper verification and submitting a favorable recommendation report.