Supreme Court to Hear Petition by Jailed MLA Abbas Ansari Seeking Permission for Special Prayers for Late Father Mukhtar Ansari

The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing on May 6 for the petition filed by MLA Abbas Ansari, currently incarcerated in Kasganj jail. Ansari seeks permission to participate in special prayers commemorating his late father, Mukhtar Ansari, who passed away due to a heart attack at a Banda hospital on March 28. Advocate Nizam Pasha, representing Abbas Ansari, urged Chief Justice of India (CJI) for an expedited hearing, to which the CJI assured that the case had already been listed.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had sought a response from the Uttar Pradesh government regarding Abbas Ansari’s plea to attend the Fatiha or special prayer on April 10 following his father’s demise. Mukhtar Ansari, a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat, was laid to rest on March 30. Notably, Mukhtar Ansari had been incarcerated since 2005, facing over 60 criminal cases. His health deteriorated during his imprisonment at Banda jail, and he was transferred to Rani Durgavati Medical College for treatment on March 28, where he eventually succumbed to a heart attack.

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Abbas Ansari himself was lodged in Chitrakoot jail. However, on February 11, 2023, the jail was raided by the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, allegedly discovering Abbas and his wife Nikhat Ansari in a room within the jail premises. Nikhat was subsequently charged with various offenses, including aiding Abbas’s escape from jail, leading to actions against four jail officials. However, Nikhat has since been granted bail by the Supreme Court in this matter.