Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, facing life imprisonment under various sections of the IPC and the Arms Act, was admitted to the Rani Durgawati Medical College in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda after he complained of abdominal pain in the wee hours on Tuesday.

As per reports, Ansari has been diagnosed with urinary tract infection (UTI) and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital where he is undergoing treatment and his condition is stated to be stable.

“My father Mukhtar Ansari Saheb was admitted to the ICU of Banda Medical College just an hour ago. His condition is very serious. Please pray for him,” Ansari’s son Umar said in a social media post earlier today.

As per Ansari’s lawyer Naseem Haider, the gangster-politician is facing trouble speaking. Doctors have advised surgery while some of his reports remain pending, the reports said. Ansari was admitted to the hospital at around 1 AM on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Ansari’s brother and the Samajwadi Party candidate from Ghazipur, Afzal Ansari alleged a conspiracy to murder the gangster-politician. A conspiracy is being hatched to murder Mukhtar Ansari, this conspiracy has been going on for many days. The family has even filed a petition in the court that Mukhtar Ansari should be kept in some other state and the trial should be conducted there. Death is certain but the devil is trying to kill them,” Afzal Ansari said.

Security has been beefed up outside the hospital. Notably, the development comes days after Ansari’s claim before a Barabanki court that he was served poisoned food inside the Banda jail. The jailer and two deputy jailers were also suspended for negligence in Ansari’s security.

“… on the night of March 19, my food was laced with poison inside the prison, following which my health has deteriorated… I feel like I’m going to choke,” Ansari said in an application filed before the court.

Medical authorities who conducted Ansari’s health check-up at the time said that he was facing difficulties due to fasting for the month of Ramzan and that medicines had been prescribed to him.

Jail authorities have, however, rejected the claims by Ansari and said that the same food was consumed by all inmates and none of them fell sick.

Ansari was sentenced to life imprisonment under Sections 467 (forgery of valuable security, will) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and seven years under Sections 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) of the IPC. He was also sentenced to 6 months imprisonment under Section 30 of the Arms Act.