Punjab government has refused to pay legal expenses of lakhs of rupees related to gangster Mukhtar Ansari of Uttar Pradesh. In this regard, the Chief Minister’s Office has returned the file. It has been learnt that the said bill is related to a senior Supreme Court lawyer who had fought the case in the top court for keeping Mukhtar Ansari in Ropar Jail in Punjab during Captain Amarinder Singh’s government.
The Punjab government had spent about Rs 11 lakh on each appearance of the said lawyer.
Mukhtar Ansari was lodged in Ropar jail in Punjab for about two and half years between 2019 and 2021. The Punjab Police had brought him from Uttar Pradesh on transit remand.
The Mohali Police had registered a case against Mukhtar Ansari on the complaint of a builder. There were about 47 cases registered against the don in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, the UP police had urged the Punjab government to send back Mukhtar Ansari but the Punjab government did not budge from its stand.
Uttar Pradesh government had written letters to the Punjab government 25 times for the return of Mukhtar Ansari but every time, it had mentioned the ill health of the don. Finally, the Uttar Pradesh government approached the Supreme Court, against which the Punjab government fought the case with the services of a senior advocate. The fee of this case was Rs 55 lakh.