Mukhtar Ansari - Time Up For The Don

Gangster-neta Mukhtar Ansari’s transfer to an Uttar Pradesh jail from Punjab is seen as a victory for the Yogi government. How will the politics play out?

- Ashish Misra

The Banda district jail on Police Line Road has seen a flurry of activity in the past few days. Even DIG (Jails), Prayagraj range, P.N. Pandey, was camping here, ostensibly to strengthen the jail’s security system. The preparations were for mafia don-turned-neta Mukhtar Ansari, 63, who arrived here in the wee hours of April 7, after traveling 900 km from Ropar Jail in Punjab escorted by a 150-strong police patrol. His relocation followed a Supreme Court order on March 26, which backed the Uttar Pradesh government’s plea that he be brought back to the state. Ansari should be familiar with the place—he was in Banda jail for 21 months before being shifted to Ropar in January 2019 based on a warrant from the Mohali court there.

Citing the fact that he had missed his hearings, the UP government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court saying there were serious criminal cases pending against Mukhtar in the state. Mukhtar’s counsel had opposed the plea, saying there was a threat to his client’s life in UP jails (he was earlier shifted from Lucknow Jail to Banda for this very reason). Barrack No. 15 will be Mukhtar’s new home, same as earlier. The tanhai (isola tion) cells will have a new entry gate, a half platoon of the PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) and 10 new CCTV cameras in Barracks 15-16 as part of the new security arrangements.