Gangster-Turned-Politician Mukhtar Ansari Dies Of Heart Attack At Banda Medical College, Sec 144 In UP

New Delhi: Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari passed away after suffering a heart attack on Thursday. He was hospitalized at Banda Medical College in the evening after his health deteriorated. 

Mukhtar Ansari, 63, was a five-time former MLA from Mau Sadar seat and had been behind bars in UP and Punjab since 2005.

Banda Medical College issued a medical bulletin announcing the death of Ansari. "Today, around 8:25 PM, the inmate Mukhtar Ansari's son, Subhanullah Umar, approximately 63 years old, was brought to the emergency department of Rani Durgavati Medical College, Banda, in an unconscious and disoriented state by jail staff.

"The patient complained of vomiting. He was immediately provided medical care by a team of 09 doctors. However, despite all efforts, the patient passed away due to a cardiac arrest," the bulletin, which was in Hindi, stated.

PHOTO | Banda Medical College issues a Medical Bulletin announcing the death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari at 8:25 pm today. pic.twitter.com/Ozfy3YicsH

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 28, 2024

Reason Behind Ansari's Death

Ansari suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the Banda hospital at 8:25 pm, where he ultimately passed away.

His condition deteriorated on Thursday evening after which he was shifted to the hospital. A team of nine doctors was treating him at the hospital.

The security has been beefed up at Banda Medical College and in Ghazipur, Mau, and Banda. Prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 have been imposed across Uttar Pradesh, police said.

Samajwadi Party, Pappu Yadav Reacts To Ansari's Death

Samajwadi Party (SP) took to social media platform X, to express its grief over the death of Mukhtar Ansari

"Sad demise of former MLA Shri Mukhtar Ansari. May his soul rest in peace. May the bereaved family members get the strength to bear this immense sorrow. Humble tribute!" SP posted.

पूर्व विधायक श्री मुख्तार अंसारी जी का इंतकाल, दुःखद।

ईश्वर उनकी आत्मा को शांति दें।

शोकाकुल परिजनों को यह असीम दुःख सहने का संबल प्राप्त हो।

विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि !

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) March 28, 2024

Pappy Yadav, who recently merged his party Jan Adhikar Morcha with the Congress, called Ansari's death an institutional murder.

पूर्व विधायक मुख़्तार अंसारी जी की
सांस्थानिक हत्या

क़ानून, संविधान, नैसर्गिक न्याय को
दफन कर देने जैसा है।

— Pappu Yadav (@pappuyadavjapl) March 28, 2024

Recently, he was hospitalised as he complained of abdominal pain in jail but was discharged the same day after treatment. His brother Afzal Ansari had alleged that Mukhtar Ansari was given poison in jail.

Afzal Ansari had claimed on Tuesday, "Mukhtar said that he was given poisonous a substance in food in jail. This happened for the second time. Around 40 days ago also he was given poison. And recently on March 19 of March 22, he was again given this (poison) due to which his condition is bad."

Who Was Mukhtar Ansari?

The five-time former MLA from Mau had been in jail in UP and in Punjab since 2005. 

Ansari had over 60 criminal cases pending against him and was sentenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts of UP and was lodged in the Banda jail.

Throughout his life, he had become synonymous with terror not just in Purvanchal but across the entire state of Uttar Pradesh.

His name was on the list of 66 gangsters issued by Uttar Pradesh Police last year. His name first appeared in connection with the Sachchidanand Rai murder case of 1988, stemming from a land dispute in Ghazipur district.