Gangster-Turned-Politician Mukhtar Ansari Dies in Jail, Family Alleges Poisoning, High Alert Across UP

New Delhi: Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of a cardiac arrest while in jail on Thursday night. His family members allege that he was poisoned. Security has been tightened in several Uttar Pradesh towns following the death of Ansari.

He was lodged in jail since 2005. Mukhtar Ansari was a former five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat. He had around 60 criminal cases pending against him. He was lodged in the Banda jail. He was sentenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts of UP.

Following his death prohibitory orders banning large gatherings have been imposed across Uttar Pradesh. Additional police force have been deployed in the Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi districts.

The jailed gangster-politician was rushed to the hospital in Banda when he fell unconscious inside the jail on Thursday night. A few hours later, he was declared dead by the doctors at the Rani Durgavati Medical College.

The hospital authorities say he died of cardiac arrest. But Mukhtar Ansari’s son and his brother have demanded a probe into his death as they allege he was poisoned while in jail.

A panel of five doctors will conduct the postmortem on Friday. A large force of police personnel has been deployed outside the Banda hospital where Mukhtar died.