NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a petition seeking a probe into the death of Uttar Pradesh gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who died of a heart attack in prison last year.
The bench noted that the plea, originally filed while Ansari was still alive, could not be pursued posthumously. The court advised his son, Umar Ansari—the petitioner—to approach the Allahabad High Court for any further legal recourse.
In his petition, Umar claimed that although a judicial inquiry had been ordered following his father’s death, the family had not yet received the inquiry report. Alleging foul play, the family continues to press for clarity on the circumstances surrounding the death.
Mukhtar Ansari, a former five-time MLA from Mau, had been associated with several political parties, including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Despite his criminal background, which included charges of murder, extortion, and land grabbing, he wielded considerable political influence, particularly in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Ansari’s name became emblematic of the crime-politics nexus in the region. His rise in the criminal underworld is often traced back to August 3, 1991, when Congress leader Ajay Rai’s brother, Awadhesh Rai, was gunned down outside his home in Varanasi. At the time, it was Ansari’s 13th recorded criminal case, having first been booked in 1978.
Another high-profile crime linked to him was the January 22, 1997 abduction of Mahavir Prasad Rungta, brother of coal businessman and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) treasurer Nand Kishore Rungta. Despite a reported ransom payment of ₹1.25 crore, Mahavir’s fate remained uncertain.
Mukhtar Ansari died in 2024 while lodged in jail. His death and the surrounding allegations have continued to stir debate over law and order, as well as the safety of undertrial prisoners in Indian custody.
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