In a pivotal ruling on Monday, the Allahabad High Court has set aside the four-year prison sentence previously meted out to Afzal Ansari, enabling him to continue his tenure as a Member of Parliament. Ansari, affiliated with the Samajwadi Party (SP), represents Ghazipurโa constituency long considered a bastion for his family.
The judicial reversal came after the court scrutinized the charges levied against Ansari under Section 3(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986. The court concluded that the prosecution failed to substantiate the accusations beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to the quashing of the sentence originally imposed by the MP/MLA court in Ghazipur.
Ansari had been implicated in a conspiracy surrounding the 2005 murder of Krishnand Rai, a BJP MLA. The allegations suggested that the assassination, which also claimed the lives of six of Rai’s aides, was orchestrated by Ansari’s late brother, Mukhtar Ansari, while he was incarcerated.
However, the court noted discrepancies in the prosecutorial narrative, particularly highlighting that Afzal Ansari had been acquitted of these charges in a previous trial. Furthermore, initial investigations and subsequent evidence did not convincingly link Afzal Ansari to the gang activities purportedly led by his brother. Notably, the first FIR filed in December 2007 did not name Afzal Ansari as a gang memberโa detail only added 15 years later without substantial proof of his involvement in any anti-social activities.
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The court also dismissed corroborative testimonies against Ansari, including statements from the investigating officer and Ram Narayan Rai, brother of the deceased MLA, who had accused Ansari of leading a gang involved in murders and land grabs.
