New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a reply from the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea by MLA Abbas Ansari seeking bail in a case where he has been accused of extortion, by using his wife's mobile phone, who used to visit him in Chitrakoot district jail. Abbas Ansari is the son of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who died in jail a few months ago.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan, considered the plea filed by Ansari. The apex court asked the state government to respond on Ansari’s plea and scheduled the matter for further hearing after two weeks.
Ansari, an MLA from Mau assembly constituency, has moved the apex court challenging the May 1 order of the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court which had declined to entertain his bail plea. The High Court had noted the allegation that Ansari used the mobile phones of his wife and threatened various people to extort money.
An FIR was registered in February 2023 alleging that Ansari's wife frequently visited him in prison without complying with formalities and prescribed restrictions. It was also alleged that the driver of Ansari's wife was plotting his escape from prison with the help of jail officials. The High Court had observed that Ansari, being a member of the Legislative Assembly, holds a responsible position and his conduct has to be of a higher standard.
