‘Mukhtar Ansari poisoned in UP’s Banda jail', alleges don-turned-politician's brother

Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari has alleged being poisoned by a substance mixed in food given to him in Banda jail, his brother Afzal Ansari said on Tuesday.

“Mukhtar said that he was given poisonous a substance in food in jail. This happened for the second time. Around 40 days ago also he was given poison. And recently on March 19 of March 22, he was again given this (poison) due to which his condition is bad,” Afzal, an MP from Ghazipur, was quoted by PTI as saying. He added that his brother is in the intensive care unit (ICU) and conscious.

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“Due to the sudden deterioration in the health of prisoner Mukhtar Ansari and falling in the toilet in the night, he was immediately given treatment by the jail doctor. After informing the district administration, a team of doctors was called by which the prisoner was referred to the medical college in the night itself. The prisoner was admitted to Medical College Banda under police protection where he is undergoing treatment,” a statement issued by the UP prison department said.

The Banda Medical College in a medical bulletin said that Mukhtar Ansari was admitted there at 3.55 am with a complaint of pain in the abdomen.

“The patient is admitted and conservative treatment has started. Patient is stable currently,” the statement added.

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Mukhtar Ansari has been behind bars in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh since 2005. The 60-year-old don-turned-politician has over 60 criminal cases pending against him. He has been sentenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts of UP and was lodged in the Banda jail.

His name was on the list of 66 gangsters issued by Uttar Pradesh Police last year. His family members had earlier expressed apprehension that Mukhtar Ansari could be killed in a fake encounter.