New Delhi: Umar Ansari, son of late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, on Monday claimed before the Supreme Court that his father was "poisoned", through the food given to him, and he was also denied necessary medical treatment, and as a consequence he died in custody. Umar said that human beings cannot be treated in this manner. Mukhtar Ansari was lodged in jail in Uttar Pradesh.
Umar had filed a petition in 2023 alleging risk to his father's safety and security inside the Banda jail. On March 28, Ansari, a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar constituency, died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Umar Ansari, submitted before a bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti that what his client feared regarding his father's safety had happened. Sibal said they have filed an application seeking to amend the prayer made in the 2023 plea.
The bench orally remarked, "We can't bring him back Mr Sibal. You know that very well". The top court said that the petitioner had anticipated an encounter-like situation. Sibal told the bench that the petitioner has alleged that food given to his father was poisoned. Sibal contended that human beings in this country cannot be treated like this and urged the court to pass a direction for some enquiry in the matter.
The bench issued notice on the application to amend the plea. The bench told Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, who was representing Uttar Pradesh, that he can file his response to it. The apex court granted four weeks' time to Nataraj to file a response. The apex court noted the petitioner's submission that Mukhtar Ansari was denied requisite medical treatment in the prison which led to his death in custody.
The apex court in January this year had directed Uttar Pradesh authorities to continue with the security measures to ensure that Mukhtar Ansari is not visited with any "unforeseen situation". Umar’s plea said that he was concerned for his father’s life and he had been constrained to move the court with the sole aim of protecting his life.
