Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s life journey

Mukhtar Ansari, born into a prominent family in 1963, traversed the realms of crime and politics in Uttar Pradesh. Accused in 63 criminal cases, including 14 murders, and convicted in eight since September 2022, he succumbed to cardiac arrest in a Banda hospital on Thursday.

At 63, Mukhtar Ansari was transported from Banda prison to Rani Durgawati Medical College shortly before his demise.

His lineage boasted significant figures in India’s independence struggle. His paternal grandfather, Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, served as President of the Indian National Congress and later as Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia. On the maternal side, Brigadier Mohammad Usman, Ansari’s grandfather, was a decorated Indian Army officer, posthumously honored with the Maha Vir Chakra.

As a gangster-turned-politician, Ansari represented Mau constituency in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly five times, representing various political parties.

Here are 10 key points about his criminal activities:

1. Ansari’s involvement in crime began at 15 when he faced charges of criminal intimidation.
2. By 1986, he was entrenched in the contract mafia, facing another murder case.
3. Over the following decade, he accumulated more serious charges, totaling 14 cases.
4. Since 2005, Ansari faced 28 criminal cases, including murder, and seven under UP’s Gangster Act.
5. He was convicted in eight cases since September 2022 and faced trial in 21 others.
6. Ansari received a life sentence and a fine for obtaining an arms license fraudulently.
7. In 2023, he was sentenced to five years and six months for issuing a death threat.
8. He received 10 years of imprisonment in 2023 under the Gangster Act.
9. Ansari was given life imprisonment in 2023 for the murder of Awadesh Rai.
10. Notably, he was involved in the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005.

Despite his criminal background, Ansari had a notable political career, serving as MLA from Mau multiple times. In 2022, he passed on the political mantle to his son Abbas Ansari, who won from the same assembly seat.