Mukhtar Ansari's wife moves SC, seeks protection of husband

Mukhtar Ansari's wife, Afshan Ansari approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the UP Police to "not kill" her husband in a fake encounter and allow him to face a "free and fair trial."

New Delhi: Fearing for her husband's life, gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's wife, Afshan Ansari approached the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a direction to the UP Police to "not kill" her husband in a fake encounter and allow him to face a "free and fair trial."

The Supreme Court had on March 26, Friday ordered that Ansari should be shifted to a jail in Uttar Pradesh from Punjab, keeping in view the fact that he is allegedly involved in many criminal cases.

A bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and also comprising Justice R S Reddy, in its order on March 26, had granted two weeks time to shift Ansari from Rupnagar jail in Punjab to Banda jail in Uttar Pradesh.

The Uttar Pradesh government had filed the petition in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Punjab government and Rupnagar jail authority to immediately hand over the custody of Ansari to the district jail Banda.

Ansari is the sitting Bahujan Samaj Party MLA from Mau Vidhan Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh.

The top court allowed the UP government's plea seeking transfer of Ansari to a UP jail from Punjab under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution.

Afshan in her petition sought direction from the Apex Court that security should be provided to her husband, Ansari.

She had pleaded to the Apex Court that Ansari should be provided security during his stay in Banda jail also during his transportation to Court for trial proceedings in the criminal cases registered against him.

Ansari, facing trial in several heinous offenses before a special MP/MLA court, has been lodged in Rupnagar jail in Punjab since January 2019.

Uttar Pradesh government had also filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court and stated that the government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of Ansari, who is lodged at present in Punjab's Rupnagar Jail.

Afshan's petition is likely to come up for hearing within a week or so before the Supreme Court.

(ANI)