The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday extended the interim stay on legal proceedings against Abbas and Umar Ansari in the Ghazal Hotel case in Ghazipur.
The court also granted the Uttar Pradesh government a final opportunity to submit its counter-affidavit before the next hearing, which has been scheduled for 1 December 2025.
Justice Sameer Jain passed the order after hearing the petition filed by Abbas and Umar Ansari through their counsel, Advocate Upendra Upadhyay.
The petition challenged the ongoing trial proceedings and the chargesheet filed against them in connection with the alleged illegal construction of the Ghazal Hotel on government land.
In July 2023, the High Court had stayed both the chargesheet and the trial proceedings pending before the subordinate court.
During the earlier hearing, Advocate Upendra Upadhyay asserted that authorities registered the disputed land in the names of Abbas and Umar Ansari in 2005, even though both were minors at the time.
Their mother, Afshan Ansari, had carried out the registration on their behalf as their legal guardian.
Upadhyay argued that the authorities could not legally file a chargesheet against the petitioners because they were minors at the time of the alleged offence.
He maintained that the state had pursued the case with political motives and without legal justification, even though their mother had lawfully completed the land registration as their guardian.
The High Court had found merit in the argument and had consequently imposed a stay on both the chargesheet and the ongoing trial, pending further consideration of the petitioners’ plea.
Allegations of Land Encroachment
The case revolves around allegations that Mukhtar Ansari’s family constructed the Ghazal Hotel by encroaching upon government land in Ghazipur.
The prosecution claims that the property was developed without requisite permissions and in violation of land ownership laws.
The state government’s counsel had earlier sought additional time to file a detailed response to the petition.
The court has now provided the government with a final opportunity to do so before the next date of hearing.
Granting the extension, Justice Jain reiterated that the interim stay on trial proceedings would remain in force until further orders.
The judge emphasised the importance of the government submitting its counter-affidavit within the stipulated time to ensure that the matter could proceed without undue delay.
The court will decide on 1 December 2025 whether to continue the stay and quash the charges against the Ansari brothers.
The case has drawn public attention due to its association with the family of Mukhtar Ansari, a former MLA with multiple criminal cases against him.
The outcome of this case may have wider implications for other ongoing investigations linked to the Ansari family’s assets in Uttar Pradesh.
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