The Allahabad High Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by Sarfaraz Ansari, alias Munni, an alleged sharpshooter linked to the late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari. The plea sought to quash the ongoing prosecution proceedings against him in connection with the notorious Usri Chatti massacre case in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh.
The petitioner had moved the High Court seeking the termination of criminal proceedings against him. However, the Lucknow bench of the High Court, presided over by Justice Rajiv Singh, ruled that given the advanced stage of the trial—where charges have already been framed and key witness testimony has been recorded—there is no legal justification for the court to intervene and quash the prosecution at this juncture.
The roots of the case trace back to the summer of 2001, during a period of intense gang warfare in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. According to the petition, a group led by Brijesh Singh allegedly launched an attack on Mukhtar Ansari’s convoy at Usri Chatti in Ghazipur. The resulting shootout led to several fatalities, including that of a man named Manoj Rai. For over two decades, Rai was widely characterized as an associate of the rival faction who died during the crossfire.
The narrative shifted significantly in 2023 when Manoj Rai’s father, Shailendra Kumar Rai, filed a fresh First Information Report (FIR) at the Mohammadabad police station in Ghazipur. The complainant alleged that his son had actually been abducted from Buxar in Bihar and murdered by Mukhtar Ansari’s associates. He claimed the gang then staged the crime scene to portray his son’s death as a casualty of the 2001 Usri Chatti incident. During the subsequent investigation, Sarfaraz Ansari’s involvement surfaced, leading to a chargesheet and the commencement of trial proceedings.
During the hearing, Additional Advocate General (AAG) V K Shahi appeared for the State of Uttar Pradesh and strongly opposed the quashing of the proceedings. He argued that the 2001 incident and the 2023 FIR were based on entirely different sets of factual circumstances and that the current prosecution remains legally sustainable.
The petitioner’s side argued for the quashing of the proceedings, likely pointing to the significant delay between the 2001 event and the 2023 FIR.
Justice Rajiv Singh, while delivering the order, took note of the procedural progress made in the trial court. The bench observed that not only has a chargesheet been submitted, but the trial court has also formally framed charges against the petitioner.
The court further emphasized that the trial is actively underway, noting that the testimony of the complainant and key witness, Shailendra Kumar Rai, has already been documented.
“In such circumstances, there is no justification for quashing the entire prosecution proceedings by exercising powers at this stage,” the court observed.
By dismissing the plea, the High Court has effectively cleared the way for the trial to continue against the alleged sharpshooter in the lower court.
