Gangster Mukhtar Ansari convicted in Awadesh Rai murder case

Varanasi: The MP-MLA special court held gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari guilty in the 1991 Awadesh Rai case on Monday. The court will sentence the punishment after 2 pm.

In the initial session at around 12 noon, the court held the mafia don guilty in the murder case. After it, the court fixed the time of 2 pm for sentencing quantum of punishment, informed Additional district government counsel (criminal) Vinay Singh.

He also added that there are four other persons accused in the case apart from Ansari.

Awadesh Rai was shot dead on August 3, 1991, when he was standing at the gate of his house in the Lahurabira area. The deceased’s brother Ajay Rai lodged an FIR against Mukhtar, Bheem Singh, former MLA late Abdul Kalam, Rakesh Nyayik, and two others.

In December 2022, the Ghaziapur court sentenced Mukhtar 10-year imprisonment in a 1996 Gangster Act case. Mukhtar had been an MLA for five consecutive terms from the Mau Sadar assembly seat. The gangster-politician did not contest the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. His seat was won by his son Abbas Ansari from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).

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