Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh): BJP MLA Alka Rai, widow of slain MLA Krishnanand Rai has welcomed the decision of the Supreme court directing the Punjab government to hand over the custody of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, currently lodged in Rupnagar jail, to Uttar Pradesh Police within 14 days.
Rai was shot dead in 2005. Mukhtar Ansari was accused of killing him but was later acquitted in the case.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Alka said that she is hopeful that the old cases will be opened and justice will be delivered.
She also said that she wrote to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi two times but got no response from her.
She also accused the Punjab government of blatantly protecting Ansari. Rai said that Congress and its government in Punjab have been shielding and treating the dreaded gangster-like a 'state guest'.
Earlier, Supreme Court Friday directed the Punjab government to hand over the custody of Ansari to Uttar Pradesh Police.
The top court also dismissed a plea by Ansari seeking transfer of cases lodged against him in Uttar Pradesh to some other place outside the state.
READ: Slain MLA's widow urges Priyanka not to shield Ansari
The top court delivered the verdict on the plea of the Uttar Pradesh government seeking a direction to the Punjab government and Rupnagar jail authority to immediately hand over the custody of Ansari, to the district jail Banda.
On March 4, the top court was informed by the Punjab government that the Yogi Adityanath-led government has got no fundamental right to seek Ansari's transfer from Rupnagar jail to the district jail in Banda in Uttar Pradesh.
Ansari is lodged in district jail Rupnagar in Punjab in connection with an alleged extortion case since January 2019.
He is also accused in several cases of heinous crimes lodged in Uttar Pradesh.
READ: Illegal building owned by Mukhtar Ansari demolished in Lucknow
The UP government has earlier contended that Ansari has been dodging the judicial system and is running his alleged illegal activities from Rupnagar district jail in Punjab.
While Uttar Pradesh had alleged in the apex court that there is collusion between Ansari and Punjab Police, the Amarinder Singh government has refuted these claims and raised questions over the maintainability of the plea filed by the Yogi Adityanath government.
The UP government has referred to the prison rules and said that though the state itself does not have fundamental rights, it can espouse the cause and the fundamental rights of the victims and it may assume the position of the victim.
It said Ansari had flouted the jail manual rules and rights of the victim and the State at large cannot be overlooked and the accused cannot be allowed to jettison the fair trial. It had said that the top court under Article 142 can order the transfer of Ansari from Punjab jail to jail in Uttar Pradesh as around 14 and 15 cases are at final stages.
READ: Mukhtar Ansari's wife, her brothers booked under stringent law
Ansari who has also filed a petition seeking transfer of his cases in UP to outside the state had submitted that because of his political affiliation to a party in opposition, he is being targeted.
Punjab government had said that Ansari has been unwell and central government-owned PGI Chandigarh has been given him medical certificates from time to time.
It had that UP government has made repeated efforts to seek Ansari's custody and it has been told by the Punjab jail authorities that Ansari has been unwell and their response has been based on medical records.
(With agency inputs)
