A special MP/MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi has awarded life imprisonment to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in 32-year-old Awadhesh Rai’s murder case on Monday. The gangster-turned-politician is the prime accused in the case.
Security has been tightened at court premises and in the sensitive areas of the city. Earlier, the court concluded the hearing after arguments on May 19, reserved its order, and fixed June 5 as the date to deliver its verdict.
On August 3, 1991, Congress leader and brother of former MLA Ajay Rai, Awadhesh, was shot dead outside Ajay Rai’s house in Varanasi.
In the FIR, Ajay Rai had named Mukhtar Ansari, Bhim Singh and former MLA Abdul Kalim.
On May 17, a Ghazipur MP/MLA Court had acquitted Ansari accused in a case of conspiracy of a murder attempt in UP’s Mohammadabad area in the district.
In 2009, Mir Hasan filed a case of attempt to murder against Ansari under 120B. A case under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Ansari at Mohammadabad police station in Ghazipur, reported news agency ANI.