SC allows Abbas Ansari to attend prayer service in remembrance of Mukhtar Ansari

Gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of a cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda in Uttar Pradesh on March 28. A private prayer service in remembrance of him is slated to be held on June 10.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed jailed MLA Abbas Ansari to attend a private prayer service in remembrance of his late father Mukhtar Ansari on June 10 at his house in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan also permitted Abbas Ansari to spend time with his family on June 11 and June 12 in police custody and directed the state police to make arrangements in this regard.

The top court ordered that Ansari be shifted to Ghazipur jail before June 9 and allowed to take part in the prayer service without any hindrance.

"The petitioner shall be brought back to Ghazipur on June 10 at 6 pm and he shall be again taken to his home on June 11 and June 12 at 9 am and will be allowed to spend time with family and close relatives on both dates," the bench said.

Additional Advocate General (AAG) for Uttar Pradesh Garima Prashad submitted there is no ritual left and all ceremonies relating to the death of his father are over as per his own admission.

The apex court directed that Ansari be sent back to Kasganj jail on June 13.

The Uttar Pradesh AAG requested the bench to state in its order that this would not be a precedent as there are over one lakh prisoners in the state and the court would be flooded with such requests.

"Law and order is for you to tackle. We don't mind giving this relief to one lakh people," the bench observed.

Gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of a cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda in Uttar Pradesh on March 28.

The top court had earlier permitted Abbas Ansari to join the 40th day ritual of his deceased father through online mode.

On March 30, Mukhtar Ansari, a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar constituency, was laid to rest in Ghazipur.

The 63-year-old, who had over 60 criminal cases against him, had been behind bars in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005.

He died on March 28 night at Rani Durgawati Medical College after being taken there from Banda jail when his health deteriorated.