New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed jailed MLA Abbas Ansari to attend a private prayer service for his late father Mukhtar Ansari on June 10, at the family's residence in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh.
Gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of a cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda in Uttar Pradesh on March 28. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan also permitted Abbas to spend time with his family on June 11 and June 12 in police custody. The bench asked the police to make arrangements accordingly.
During the hearing, Additional Advocate General (AAG) for Uttar Pradesh Garima Prashad argued that there is no ritual left and all ceremonies in connection with the death of his father are over as per his own admission. The Uttar Pradesh government counsel urged the bench to record in the order that this would not be a precedent as there are over one lakh prisoners in the state.
The counsel stressed that the court would be flooded with such requests. The bench said that the law and order is for the Uttar Pradesh government to tackle. "We don't mind giving this relief to one lakh people," observed the bench.
The top court directed that Ansari be shifted to Ghazipur jail before June 9 and be allowed to take part in the prayer service without any hindrance. ''The petitioner shall be brought back to Ghazipur on June 10 at 6 pm and he shall be again taken to his home on June 11 and June 12 at 9 am and will be allowed to spend time with family and close relatives on both dates,'' said the bench, adding that Ansari be sent back to Kasganj jail on June 13.
