The Delhi CBI Special Court on Wednesday, 3 July, acquitted ex-MLA Mukhtar Ansari, his MP brother Afzal Ansari and five others in the murder case of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai.
It was Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj who acquit all the accused in the case.
Ansari, who has been lodged in jail since 2005, has 50 criminal cases registered against him.
On 29 November 2005, BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai and six others were shot down with AK-47 rifles in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. Following the incident, Rai’s body was found riddled with over 21 bullets.
Later on, CBI charged Ansari with planning of the murder.
UP Govt to Appeal Against Ansari’s Acquittal
The Uttar Pradesh government will file an appeal against the CBI court order acquitting Ansari and aides, according to a senior state official.
“Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the judgement in the Krishnanand Rai case. The government shall examine the judgement and file appeal in the high court,” Principal Secretary (Information) Awanish Awasthi told PTI.
The trial of the 2005 murder case was transferred from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi by the Supreme Court in 2013, on a plea filed by Alka Rai, wife of Krishnanand Rai.
The gangster-turned-politician, Ansari has been elected five times from the Mau Assembly constituency. His first victory came in 1996 when he fought on a BSP ticket. However, in 2010, Ansari was expelled by the party for involvement in criminal activities.
He then formed his own party, Quami Ekta Dal, with his brothers and won from the Mau seat in 2012 assembly elections.
Later, Ansari merged his party with BSP in 2017 and won the state elections as a BSP candidate.
(With inputs from The Indian Express, India TV)
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