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The Print
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
Son behind bars, wife on the run. Mukhtar Ansari's family struggles to retain grip on bastion
The seat fell vacant after Umar's older brother, Abbas Ansari, was disqualified as an MLA from the owing to his conviction in a hate speech case in June this year. Abbas won the seat in 2022 on a Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) ticket, when the party was aligned with the Samajwadi Party. The SBSP is now part of the BJP-led alliance. Some said the timing of Umar's arrest was no coincidence. The arrest came as Umar was reportedly preparing to contest the upcoming bypolls for the Mau Assembly seat, a constituency the family has held for the past 29 years. Lucknow: When jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of a heart attack in Banda last year, many believed it was a blow to the nexus between crime and politics in eastern Uttar Pradesh. But a year later, the former five-time MLA's family is in the headlines again. Lucknow police last week arrested his younger son, Umar Ansari, for allegedly submitting forged documents in court to reclaim his father's seized properties. Mukhtar's elder brother, Afzal Ansari, the Member of Parliament from Ghazipur, linked Umar's arrest to the upcoming Mau bypoll, claiming Umar enjoys strong public support. He said that Umar was being targeted to break his spirit, but the family wasn't afraid. 'He doesn't drink, doesn't have any disputes with anyone—all he does is twirl his moustache, and that alone bothers some people,' he said. According to Afzal, Umar was staying at his elder brother Abbas Ansari's official residence in Lucknow when the police picked him up. 'I was in Delhi for the Parliament session when I heard about the incident. I was informed that a case had been filed that evening, and based on that, Umar was arrested. The police's bias is not hidden now.' Police registered a criminal case against Umar in Ghazipur. He was taken into custody and later transferred there. Officials said Umar has been accused of trying to illegally reclaim a property that had been seized under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986. Investigators claim Umar filed a petition in court seeking the release of the confiscated property, but during document verification, it was allegedly found that he submitted forged papers with fake signatures of his mother, Afsa Ansari, who has been on the run for years. Uttar Pradesh police officials ThePrint spoke to said Umar will either have to admit to forging the signatures himself or reveal that he had been in contact with Afsa. They added that properties worth an estimated Rs 200 crore linked to the late Mukhtar Ansari and his associates have either been seized, freed or demolished so far. Also Read: Communism, anti-Bhumihar mobilisation, philanthropy — the cult of the Ansaris in Ghazipur Ansari political dynasty under siege The Ansari family has dominated the local political landscape for decades. Mukhtar Ansari was born into a prominent Muslim family: His father, Haji Subhanullah Ansari, was a Communist leader, and his grandfather, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, was a Congress leader and freedom fighter. Mukhtar got into student politics while studying at Post Graduate College, Ghazipur. He took the political plunge officially in 1996 when he won an election on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket. Mukhtar held the Mau Sadar seat from 1996, winning twice on a BSP ticket (1996 and 2017), twice as an independent (2002 and 2007), and once as a Quami Ekta Dal candidate in 2012. He died of a cardiac arrest in Banda jail in March 2024. Having initially worked in property and contracts, by the early 1990s he became synonymous with land deals and tender-related gang wars in eastern Uttar Pradesh—especially Ghazipur, Mau, and Varanasi. In 2005, Mukhtar was accused in the daylight murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai and six others. This was widely seen as a revenge killing, as Rai had defeated Mukhtar's brother, Afzal, in the 2002 elections. However, in 2019, a CBI court acquitted Mukhtar and others in the case. Since 2020, the UP police have intensified action against the Ansari gang. After arresting Umar Ansari, Uttar Pradesh police have now intensified their efforts to trace Afsa Ansari who has been on the run for years and did not appear publicly even after her husband's death. According to Uttar Pradesh police officials, Afsa Ansari is a wanted accused in several cases and carries a reward of Rs 1 lakh on her head. In April this year, Ghazipur district police urged the people to provide any information that could assist in her arrest. Separate rewards of Rs 50,000 each have been announced by the police departments of both Ghazipur and Mau districts. All eyes on the family bastion With Umar's arrest and Abbas's disqualification, the Ansari family is struggling to hold on to its family stronghold. Moreover, with Afsa Ansari, the wife of Mukhtar Ansari, on the run, the Ansari family is finding it difficult to decide on a candidate for the upcoming bye-election. Currently, two names are being considered: Nusrat Ansari, daughter of Afzal Ansari, and Nikhat Ansari, wife of Abbas Ansari. Nusrat, who is also a theatre artist, became actively involved in the political scene last year while campaigning for her father in the Ghazipur parliamentary elections. Nikhat, on the other hand, was released from jail in 2023 after being arrested for unlawfully entering the prison to meet her husband, Abbas Ansari. Sources suggested a final call will be taken after Afzal meets Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav. The BJP sees this as an opportunity to capture a seat that has been a stronghold of Mukhtar Ansari and his family for nearly 30 years. Party insiders say the BJP has already activated its organisational network in the Muslim-dominated constituency. The strategy, sources say, is to replicate the momentum seen in similar bypoll wins in Muslim-majority seats like Rampur (2022) and Kundarki (2024). Currently, two members of the Ansari family hold elected positions in Parliament and the state assembly. Afzal Ansari, Mukhtar's brother, won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Ghazipur constituency. Another family member, Suhaib Ansari, serves as an MLA in Uttar Pradesh, representing the Mohammadabad constituency. He is the son of former MLA Sibghatullah Ansari and the nephew of Mukhtar and Afzal Ansari. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also Read: Muslims must turn away from leaders like Mukhtar Ansari. They will not bring true reform
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Mukhtar Ansari's son Umar Ansari arrested on cheating, forgery charges
The Ghazipur police have arrested Umar Ansari, the younger son of slain gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, late Sunday evening in a case of cheating and forgery, police said. Former MLA Mukhtar Ansari died inside the Banda district jail last year. According to the police, the property linked to Mukhtar Ansari was confiscated under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. A petition was later filed seeking its release. Police allege that Umar Ansari, in a pre-planned conspiracy to gain unlawful benefits, submitted forged documents in court by faking the signature of his mother, Afsa Ansari, who is a wanted accused carrying a reward of Rs 50,000. The police said that a case has been registered in the matter, and Umar Ansari has been taken into custody. Further legal proceedings are underway. The FIR was lodged on Sunday at Mohammadabad police station in Ghazipur under various sections, including those related to cheating and forgery. Notably, Umar Ansari is also an accused in a separate case involving a controversial speech for which his elder brother, Abbas Ansari, was sentenced to two years in prison. Following the conviction, Abbas, then an MLA from Mau, lost his Vidhan Sabha membership. Umar's trial in that case is still pending.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Umar Ansari arrested in Lucknow: Accused of forging documents; tried to claim father Mukhtar Ansari's seized property
. LUCKNOW: Umar Ansari, younger son of the late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, was arrested late Sunday night by Ghazipur police from the Darul Shafa area in Lucknow. The arrest was made at an MLA residence, following the registration of a criminal case against him in Ghazipur. He was subsequently taken into custody and transported to Ghazipur for further legal proceedings. According to officials, Umar Ansari has been booked for allegedly attempting to fraudulently reclaim a property that had been confiscated under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. The property was earlier seized under Section 14(1) of the Act, having been linked to the criminal activities of Mukhtar Ansari, who was the former kingpin of the now-banned gang IS-191. Investigators say that Umar filed a petition in court to get the seized property released. However, during scrutiny of court documents, it was found that he had allegedly submitted forged papers bearing fake signatures of his mother, Afsa Ansari. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like TV providers are furious: this gadget gives you access to all channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo Notably, Afsa is herself a wanted accused in multiple cases and carries a ₹50,000 reward on her head. Officials believe the forgery was part of a calculated plan to gain unlawful advantage in the legal process. Upon discovery of the forged documents, police registered FIR number 245/2025 at Muhammadabad Police Station in Ghazipur. The charges against Umar fall under sections 319(2), 318(4), 338, 336(3), and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Senior police officials confirmed that Umar Ansari has been taken into custody and that further legal action is underway. This happens to be the sixth case lodged against him. The past five cases include charges of cheating, forgery, damage to public property, and violation of the poll code during the Vidhan Sabha elections of 2022. On the other hand his elder brother Abbas Ansari was sentenced to two years in jail in a three-year-old case related to a controversial speech in which he allegedly threatened government officials on May 31. However he got bail by the court was later disqualified from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Abbas, was elected MLA on a Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) ticket, made the remarks at a public meeting during the 2022 Assembly election period. He has eight other cases in his name. He was caught red-handed with his wife in Chitrakoot jail, where police recovered foreign currency. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
News18
5 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Umar Ansari, Younger Son Of Mukhtar Ansari, Arrested From Lucknow In Ghazipur Fraud Case
Last Updated: Umar Ansari, son of Mukhtar Ansari, was arrested in Lucknow for a pending cheating and forgery case in Ghazipur. Umar Ansari, the younger son of the late gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari, was arrested by Ghazipur police from the Darulshafa area in Lucknow on Sunday in connection with a pending case registered in Ghazipur district, according to News18 India. Umar was wanted in a case involving cheating and forgery. He is expected to be taken to Ghazipur for further legal proceedings. In November 2023, he had surrendered before an MP-MLA court in connection with multiple violations of the Model Code of Conduct during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He had been booked for attending a controversial election rally where his elder brother, Abbas Ansari, then an MLA from Mau district, allegedly made provocative remarks. Umar, though not accused of speaking, was present on stage during the event. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
ED attaches Rs 4.18cr properties related to Mukhtar Ansari
1 2 Lucknow: The Allahabad sub-zonal office of ED has issued a provisional order to attach six immovable properties worth Rs 4.18 crore in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to the late gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari and his associates. The attached properties — belonging to Spectrum Infraservices Private Limited (a company owned and controlled by former Ghosi MP Atul Rai) and Jitender Sapra — include one residential apartment in New Delhi, three residential plots in Varanasi, and two agricultural land parcels in Ghazipur. The action was taken under the provisions of the PMLA, 2002. The ED investigation stems from an FIR registered in Mau district. According to the FIR, Vikas Construction—controlled by the late Mukhtar Ansari—illegally encroached on govt land in Raini village, Mau, where a godown was constructed. The ED found that Vikas Construction was operated under the influence of Mukhtar Ansari, with his relatives and close aides, including Atif Raza, as key stakeholders. Further financial tracing revealed that approximately Rs 8.49 crore of the POC was routed through companies owned by Ansari's network. These funds were layered into the banking system under the guise of business transactions and then transferred to accounts of firms owned by Atul Rai. With this latest action, the total value of property attached in the case stands at Rs 6.40 crore. The investigation is ongoing.
