LUCKNOW Citing poor health condition of Mafioso-turned MLA Mukhtar Ansari, Punjab’s additional chief secretary (ACS), home, in a letter written to UP ACS, home, Awanish Awasthi on Saturday has asked the UP government to make proper security and medical arrangements for Ansari’s transfer to Uttar Pradesh jail, said senior home and prison department officials here on Sunday.
A senior home department official said the letter from the Punjab government assured Ansari would be handover to the UP government on or before April 8. He said the letter asked to arrange a good vehicle for Ansari considering his medical condition.
He said Ansari had to be shifted from district jail, Rupnagar, Punjab to Banda district jail in UP where he was lodged before being shifted from here in January 2019. He said Ansari would be brought to Banda district jail by road.
He said the letter also mentioned about assuring Ansari’s appearance in Mohali court in connection with the Punjab case on April 12 through video conferencing.
A prison department official said necessary preparations were underway to bring back the BSP MLA from Mau to Uttar Pradesh. He said security arrangements had been tightened in and outside the Banda jail. Two additional police posts had been set up outside the jail, where a battalion of provincial armed constabulary had been deployed.
On March 26, rhe Supreme Court had directed the Punjab government to hand over the custody of Ansari to the Uttar Pradesh police, saying it was being denied on trivial grounds under the guise of medical issues. The court had said the custody of Ansari be handed over to Uttar Pradesh within two weeks so as to lodge him in Banda district jail in the state.
{{/usCountry}}On March 26, rhe Supreme Court had directed the Punjab government to hand over the custody of Ansari to the Uttar Pradesh police, saying it was being denied on trivial grounds under the guise of medical issues. The court had said the custody of Ansari be handed over to Uttar Pradesh within two weeks so as to lodge him in Banda district jail in the state.
{{/usCountry}}The apex court had also noted that Ansari was allegedly involved in various cases of attempt to murder, murder, cheating and conspiracy apart from offences under the Gangsters Act, lodged in Uttar Pradesh. Out of these, 10 cases were at trial stage.