UP court gives Mukhtar Ansari life imprisonment in Congress leader Awadhesh Rai's murder case

A Varanasi court on Monday sentenced gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari to life imprisonment for the murder of Congress leader Awadhesh Rai that took place more than 30 years ago. Awadhesh Rai, the brother of Congress leader Ajay Rai, was shot dead on August 3, 1991, at the gate of his Lahurabir residence. A case in the matter was registered against Mukhtar Ansari and others.

Reacting to the development, Ajay Rai said, "This is the end of our many years of waiting. I, my parents, Awadhesh's daughter and the whole family kept patience... Governments came and went and Mukhtar strengthened himself.

"But we did not give up. Because of our lawyers' efforts, today the court has found Mukhtar guilty in the murder case of my brother," Rai added.


Lawyers said that around 1 am on August 3, 1991, Congress leader Ajay Rai and his brother were standing at the gate of their house in Varanasi when some assailants, including Ansari, came there in a car and shot Awadhesh.

Ajay Rai fired from his licensed pistol in retaliation, following which the assailants fled, leaving the car behind, they said. Awadhesh was rushed to a hospital in Kabirchaura, where doctors declared him dead.

Recently, Mukhtar Ansari was acquitted in a 2009 attempt to murder case. Government counsel Neeraj Kumar Srivastav said the case of attempt to murder (IPC section 307) of one Meer Hasan of Mohammadabad police station was heard in the court of Additional Sessions Judge/First MP-MLA Durgesh.

In April this year, Ansari and his brother BSP MP Afzal Ansari was given imprisonment for 10 years and four years, respectively in a 2007 Gangsters Act case.

Mukhtar had been an MLA for five consecutive terms from the Mau Sadar assembly seat.

The gangster-politician did not contest the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and his seat was won by his son Abbas Ansari from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).

(With inputs from PTI)