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Mukhtar Ansari death: Ex-DSP, who slapped POTA on gangster, recalls pressure from Mulayam govt
Mukhtar Ansari death news: In 2004, Shailendra Singh had to resign under political pressure and a case of vandalism was slapped against him later.
Shailendra Singh, a former deputy superintendent of police who had invoked the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) against gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in January 2004, on Friday recalled how he was made to resign within 15 days allegedly by the then Mulayam Singh Yadav government.
A day after the death of Mukhtar Ansari, a five-time MLA, Shailendra Singh told news agency ANI that it was he who had first recovered a light machine gun from the gangster-turned-politician's possession. Follow Mukhtar Ansari death news LIVE Updates
“20 years ago, in 2004, Mukhtar Ansari's empire was at its peak. He (Mukhtar Ansari) would move around in open jeeps in areas where curfew was imposed. That time, I recovered an LMG. No recovery was made before or after that. I even imposed the POTA on him... But the Mulayam government wanted to save him at any cost. He pressured officials, IG-range, DIG, and SP-STF were transferred. Even I was made to resign within 15 days. But in my resignation, I wrote my reasons and put it before the people that this is the government you chose, which is protecting and working on the orders of mafias... I wasn't doing a favour to anyone. It was my duty…,” Shailendra Singh claimed.
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In February 2004, Shailendra Singh had to resign from service under political pressure and a case of vandalism was slapped against him a few months later.
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In May 2021, the UP government withdrew the case of vandalism against the former DSP in Varanasi.
The former DSP said he was harassed by the then government and his department bosses because of the action taken by him against Mukhtar Ansari and eventually had to resign and also face vandalism charges.
Recalling the incident, a retired DIG earlier told HT that Singh was in-charge of the Varanasi unit of the UP STF. The force was vigilant about gangs of Mukhtar Ansari and Krishna Nand Rai, after a shootout between them in Lucknow in 2003 following which some suspicious mobile phone numbers were put on electronic surveillance.
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“One suspicious conversation about a deal of providing a light machine gun (LMG) for ₹1 crore was intercepted by the STF. On the basis of this call, Singh claimed that Ansari was dealing with a fugitive army man to add LMG in his armoury,” the DIG said.
He said Singh and his team arrested two people from Varanasi’s Chaubepur and recovered the LMG and cartridges on January 25, 2004, after which the POTA case was filed against Ansari and his henchmen.
The investigation revealed that the mobile number, on which the LMG deal was carried out, was issued in the name of Ansari’s henchman. Political pressure started building up on the police after the FIR under POTA showing involvement of Ansari in the illegal purchase of the LMG, he added.
