Supreme Court allows Abbas Ansari to attend his father Mukhtar Ansari’s ‘fatiha’ tomorrow

Satya Prakash 

New Delhi, April 9 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed UP MLA Abbas Ansari’s plea to attend his father and gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s ‘fatiha’ ritual scheduled on April 10. 

“The petitioner has specifically averred that ‘Fatiha’ is scheduled for tomorrow. We see no reason to deny him attendance of the ritual,” a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant said.

It directed that Abbas Ansari be taken from Kasganj jail by 5 pm today under police custody with adequate security to take part in his father’s ‘fatiha’ at their ancestral place in Ghazipur.

The Bench also allowed his plea to meet his family members for two days between April 11 and April 12 before being brought back to Kasganj Jail on April 13.

It directed the police authorities to frisk visitors and ensure that no weapons were carried.

At the request of Uttar Pradesh Additional Advocate General Garima Prasad, the Bench ordered that accused Abbas Ansari — currently in judicial custody in Kasganj Jail in an arms license case — shall not talk to the electronic media or the print media.

Convicted in several criminal cases, Mukhtar Ansari died on March 28 following a cardiac arrest while undergoing life imprisonment.

The order came after senior counsel Kapil Sibal requested the Bench to give Abbas four days to meet his family members.

Prasad opposed Abbas Ansari’s plea, saying there were 11 cases, including heinous crime, pending against him and that his only intention was to be out on bail.

The accused would threaten witnesses once he was out of jail, she submitted. Alleging that Abbas created a new gang in Chitrakoot Jail and had to be shifted to Kasganj Jail, Prasad said, “He does not deserve this court’s leniency.”