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Possible blood clotting in Mukhtar Ansari's heart: Autopsy

Medical summary given by Punjab prison authorities at the time of his transfer to UP also showed he was battling heart disease

Updated on: Mar 31, 2024, 07:12:28 IST
By , KANPUR
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Doctors identified a 1.9 x1.5 cm “yellow area” in the heart, suggesting a possible clotting, according to details of the post-mortem, accessed by HT, on gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s body.

Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's son Umar Ansari meets people who attended his father's funeral at Mohammadabad, in Ghazipur district on Saturday (PTI)
Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's son Umar Ansari meets people who attended his father's funeral at Mohammadabad, in Ghazipur district on Saturday (PTI)

The post-mortem was conducted by a panel of five doctors on Friday, a day after Ansari’s death.

The doctors put 10 cuts in the heart to determine the area of clotting further in the presence of Ansari’s family members, said people aware of the details.

Another document with HT – the medical summary provided by the Ropar prison authorities at the time of Ansari’s transfer from Punjab to Banda in 2021 -- shows that the gangster-turned politician was battling heart disease and other ailments, including depression and skin allergies.

Mukhtar Ansari died on March 28 at Rani Durgawati Medical College in Banda after he was shifted there from jail. He was found unconscious in his high-security barrack of Banda division jail.

Also read: Mukhtar underwent health checks 84 times since 2021

The family alleged that Mukhtar was being poisoned inside the jail for which he had moved court seeking its intervention to provide him security and proper treatment. Ansari’s lawyer filed a formal complaint in Barabanki court on March 21, saying he was poisoned on March 19. After this allegation in the court, a jailor and two deputy jailors of Banda jail were suspended. The UP prisons department has not disclosed the reason for the action against them.

Also, the family demanded a judicial inquiry into this death that was billed as unnatural by his son Umar Ansari and brother and MP Afzal Ansari.

The findings of the post-mortem conducted on March 29 categorically said that Ansari died of heart attack/myocardial infarction.

“There were clear signs of blood clotting in the heart; the portion measuring 1.9 x1.5 cm was yellow. The heart was cut open at 10 points to look for further clots during the process,” medical college sources said.

That Ansari was battling health issues was mentioned by Dr Aunish Nadda, medical officer, Rupnagar (Ropar) jail in Punjab, in his medical summary provided to UP police on April 6, 2021.

The summary listing the medication Ansari was being administered gave an exhaustive view of his health issues.

It mentioned that he was diabetic, having coronary artery disease and under depression.

At the time of the transfer, Dr SD Tripathi, who was also on the post mortem panel of five doctors, was given a number of documents, including X rays, MRI and prescriptions also by the medical officer. Mukhtar was transferred to Uttar Pradesh on directions of the Supreme Court.

  • Haidar Naqvi
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Haidar Naqvi

    Haidar Naqvi is an Assistant Editor with the Hindustan Times in Kanpur and has been with the newspaper since May 1997, after beginning his journalism career with The Times of India. Over more than three decades, he has reported on terrorism, internal security, politics, governance and public affairs, with a particular focus on the changing nature of extremist movements in India.From 2008 to 2011, Haidar was part of the Hindustan Times National Reporting Team, contributing to coverage of some of the country's most significant security stories. He was among the reporters who covered the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as they unfolded and continued reporting on the investigation that exposed the conspiracy behind them.His reporting has followed the rise and evolution of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), the Indian Mujahideen and India's counter-terrorism response, alongside extensive coverage of organised crime and the underworld. He has also reported on Indian Mujahideen serial blasts, the Maoist insurgency, communal riots, parliamentary and assembly elections, and major political developments. Over the years, he has interviewed political leaders, senior police officers, intelligence officials and policymakers, while reporting from communities affected by violence, conflict and public policy.Beyond national security, Haidar has covered politics, minority affairs, governance, wildlife and human-interest stories across Central Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand. A recipient of the coveted Hindustan Times' Star Award, he brings historical perspective, field experience and institutional knowledge to reporting on the intersection of security, governance and society.Read More