SC To Hear On Jan 2 Former UP MLA Mukhtar Ansari's Plea Against 7-Year Jail Term For Threatening Jailer

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on January 2 a plea of former MLA Mukhtar Ansari against the order of the Allahabad High Court sentencing him to seven years imprisonment for threatening a jailer and pointing a pistol at him.

A bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice Vikram Nath is likely to hear the appeal of Ansari against the order of the Lucknow bench of the High Court.

The High Court had on September 21 set aside the order of the trial court acquitting Ansari, a gangster-politician, in the case and found him guilty under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Ansari was elected MLA from Mau in six successive elections including twice on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket.

The High Court had sentenced the former MLA to two years of rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 10,000 for offences under Section 353 and two years in jail and a fine of Rs 2,000 for offences under Section 504. The Court had also sentenced Ansari to seven years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 for offences under Section 506.

The case dates to 2003 when Lucknow district prison jailer SK Awasthi lodged an FIR with Alambagh police alleging he was threatened for ordering frisking of people who came to meet Ansari.

Awasthi also alleged that Ansari had pointed a pistol at him and abused him. A trial court had acquitted Ansari in the case but the government filed an appeal.

The former lawmaker, who wields considerable influence in eastern Uttar Pradesh, is currently lodged in Banda jail. The High Court, while convicting Ansari had noted he has the reputation of a dreaded criminal and mafia don who had more than 60 cases of heinous offences registered against him.

With PTI inputs