Ghazipur Court Acquits SP MP Afzal Ansari In 23-year-old Case

The 2001 case pertains to rioting and obstructing government work as Ansari along with 4,000 people vandalised the SDM office in Mohammadabad amid a ruckus.

Ghazipur: The Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court (CJM) here acquitted Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Afzal Ansari, elder brother of mafia Mukhtar Ansari, on Saturday, declaring him innocent. Coming out of the court, Ansari thanked the judiciary reposing his trust in it, saying the opposition had filed the case as part of a conspiracy.

According to the case, filed on August 9, 2001, SP leaders had staged a protest during a state bandh called by the party. It was alleged that then Mohammadabad MLA and current Ghazipur MP, Ansari, reached the SDM office with a procession of 4,000 people from the Mandi Samiti and raised slogans. Then CO and other police officials reached the spot and tried to stop them.

It is also alleged that the protesters entered the SDM office and vandalised it amid a ruckus. Subsequently, a case was filed against nine including Ansari in the Mohammadabad Police Station. During the investigation, police filed a charge sheet against Ansari and his supporters. The final hearing of this case was held on Saturday in the court of CJM Swapan Anand which acquitted all the accused including Ansari based on evidence and witnesses' statements.

Ansari said that due to the successful shutdown, the political opponents had filed this case in complicity with the administration.

"The court has acquitted all the accused including me in this case. I had faith in the judiciary. The conspiracy of the opponents has failed with the court's decision," he said outside the court.

On Sambhal violence, he said the Supreme Court has reprimanded the rioters but shameless people are never affected by this. They are hell-bent on doing arbitrary things. Judicial service officers are also being threatened. The officers who are jumping will have to face the music. When the time comes, the excesses that are happening will be accounted for through law. In a first, women are also being sent behind bars in Sambhal.