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Mukhtar Ansari: A Career In Crime And Politics

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Mukhtar Ansari: A Career In Crime And Politics

Mukhar Ansari, 63, died of cardiac arrest in a hospital in Banda on Thursday.

Lucknow:

Mukhtar Ansari straddled the worlds of crime and politics in Uttar Pradesh. The gangster-politician was booked in 65 criminal cases ranging from murder to extortion and was elected an MLA five times on the tickets of different political parties.

Ansari, 63, died of cardiac arrest in a hospital in Banda on Thursday.

Born into an influential family in 1963, Ansari entered the world of crime to establish himself and his gang in the government contract mafia that was then flourishing in the state.

His tryst with crime began as early as 1978, when Ansari was just 15 years of age. He had his first brush with the law when he was booked for criminal intimidation at Saidpur Police Station of Ghazipur.

Almost a decade later in 1986, by the time he had become a well-known face in the contract mafia circle, another case of murder was lodged against him at Muhammad Police Station of Ghazipur.

Over the next decade, Ansari became a common face of crime with at least 14 more cases under serious charges lodged against him.

His growing criminal graph, however, did not hinder his entry in politics.

Ansari was first elected an MLA in the UP assembly in 1996 on a ticket from Bahujan Samaj Party from Mau. He continued his successful run on the seat as an independent candidate in 2002 and 2007 assembly elections.

In 2012, he launched Qaumi Ekta Dal (QED) and won from Mau again.

He won from Mau again in 2017. In 2022 he vacated the seat for his son Abbas Ansari who won from the seat on the ticket of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party.

Since 2005, till his death, Ansari had been lodged in different jails of UP and Punjab.

He had 28 criminal cases, including that of murder, and seven cases under the UP’s Gangster Act registered against him since 2005.

He had been convicted in eight criminal cases since September 2022 and was facing trial in 21 cases in different courts.

Ansari was awarded life term and a penalty of Rs 2.02 lakh by Varanasi MP/MLA earlier this month in a case of fraudulently obtaining an arms licence around 37 years ago.

This was the eighth case in which he was sentenced in the past 18 months by different courts of UP and the second in which he was awarded a life term.

On December 15, 2023, a Varanasi MP/MLA court sentenced Ansari for five years and six months for giving death threat to Mahavir Prasad Rungta for turning hostile and not pursue a case involving the kidnapping and murder of BJP leader and coal trader Nand Kishore Rungta on January 22, 1997.

On October 27, 2023, a Ghazipur MP/MLA court had awarded him 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and penalty of 5 lakh in a Gangster Act case lodged against him in 2010.

On June 5, 2023, a Varanasi MP/MLA had awarded life imprisonment to Ansari in the case of murder of Awadesh Rai, the elder brother of former Congress MLA and present UP Congress president Ajay Rai.

Awadesh Rai was sprayed with bullets when he and brother Ajay were standing outside their house in the Lahurabir locality of Varanasi on August 3, 1991.

On April 29, 2023, Ghazipur MP/MLA court had sentenced Ansari to 10 years of imprisonment in a case of murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai.

The Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court had on September 23, 2022, awarded Ansari five years of rigorous imprisonment in a Gangster Act case registered against him in 1999 at Hazratganj Police Station in Lucknow and imposed a fine on him Rs 50,000.

The Ghazipur MP/MLA court on December 15, 2022, had awarded him 10 years of imprisonment and slapped a penalty of 5 lakh each in two separate cases of Gangster Act lodged against him in 1996 and 2007.

Ansari’s first conviction in the last 13 months was awarded by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court.

He was awarded seven years of imprisonment on September 21, 2022, for threatening the jailor of the Lucknow district jail in 2003.

The Uttar Pradesh government had to approach the Supreme Court to bring Ansari back to the state from Ropar jail in Punjab.

Ansari, then a BSP MLA, was lodged in the Ropar jail in January 2019 in connection with an extortion case and remained there for a period of more than two years.

In March 2021, while hearing a plea of the UP government, the SC had directed the Punjab government to hand over Ansari’s custody to UP, saying it was being denied on trivial grounds under the guise of medical issues.

The court had also said that a convict or an under-trial prisoner, who disobeys the law of the land, cannot oppose his transfer from one prison to another and the courts are not to be helpless bystanders when the rule of law is being challenged with impunity.

Since 2020, Ansari gang had been under an intense heat from police, which either seized or demolished illegal property worth Rs 608 crore belonging to the gang.

Illegal business, contracts, or tenders worth over Rs 215 crore of the gang was also stopped by the police in this period.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Caught Up In Concert Shooting, A Russian Woman Said Goodbye To World

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Caught Up In Concert Shooting, A Russian Woman Said Goodbye To World

Returning home, Alyona Kazinskaya says she just “hugged everyone”.

Moscow:

 Russian artist Alyona Kazinskaya likes to fill her social media feed with cheerful messages and vivid floral paintings. For 30 minutes last Friday night, it turned into a timeline of terror.

Kazinskaya and a friend had bought last-minute tickets to see Soviet-era rock group “Picnic” perform in front of 6,200 people at a concert hall near Moscow. They thought about taking their daughters but decided to go by themselves.

It was at 8:01 p.m. that Kazinskaya posted a first 10-second audio message on her Telegram channel, sounding breathless and frightened as loud bursts of gunfire rang out.

“I love you all. I’m in Crocus City Hall – Picnic. They’re shooting here, at the concert. I’m in the hall. Call the police.”

As four Kalashnikov-toting gunmen rampaged through the building, spraying concertgoers with bullets, Kazinskaya found herself caught up in the deadliest attack on Russia for 20 years.

As of Thursday, 143 people were confirmed killed in the massacre, which has been claimed by Islamic State militants but which Russia is attempting – despite emphatic denials from Kyiv – to link to Ukraine.

In an interview with Reuters, Kazinskaya said she understood quickly that the sounds she was hearing were gunshots, not special effects. With her friend, she tried to get the people around them to leave their seats and run.

“We tried to get people up, we got them up, but people had already run to the exit and we couldn’t get through. At that moment they (the gunmen) entered the hall. Then I threw my friend to the floor and I said ‘let’s crawl’.”

SCRAMBLED MESSAGES

Her first thought, Kazinskaya said, was to get out of the hall, at any price. “My second thought was I’m wearing white, I’m a good target.”

She paused briefly, and laughed.

“And finally, the third thought was I’m going to write something now – yes I’m frightened but I’m going to put these messages in my (Telegram) channel because that way someone, somewhere will definitely hear them, find them and call someone.”

At 8:08 p.m. she wrote three messages in quick succession, scrambling the letters as her fingers trembled on the phone.

“Please ring the police!!!!!”

“Crocus City Hall”

“Shooting”

By now, the pair of them had escaped the hall but was still trapped inside the building. The shooting stopped, but now there was another hazard.

8:17 p.m. A one-word audio message. “Fire!”

The gunmen had used gasoline to set the huge concert hall ablaze. The two friends took refuge in a toilet. There was smoke everywhere. They tried half a dozen times to get out, but they couldn’t see anything and had to keep retreating.

Kazinskaya was losing hope.

At 8:23 p.m. she left a four-second audio message she thought would be the last one.

“I love you. Goodbye.”

Disorientated, the pair of them found themselves in another toilet where more people were hiding. There was a man there who said he thought he could find a way out. They followed him and managed to escape the building – but even then, Kazinskaya did not feel safe.

“I had only two thoughts. First, I need first aid because I can’t breathe. I had burning to my lungs, and an asthma attack. And the second thought was I have to get as far away from the building as I can.”

At 8:31 p.m. she left a new audio message. “I’m alive. I’m getting first aid. I got out. Thank you.”

Returning home, Kazinskaya says she just “hugged everyone”. Now, she says, it will be a long time before she goes to clubs or big concerts again. But she draws comfort from the amount of support she has received.

“I think society itself needs to be kinder,” she said. “Because we remember we’re human when something bad happens, but we need to be human every day.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Congress Veteran Kamal Nath's Son Nakul Declares Assets Worth Rs 700 Crore

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Congress Veteran Kamal Nath's Son Nakul Declares Assets Worth Rs 700 Crore

As per his affidavit, Nakul Nath’s wealth has gone up by Rs 40 crore in the past five years.

Bhopal:

Nakul Nath, the lone Congress MP from Madhya Pradesh who has been renominated from Chhindwara by his party, has declared assets worth nearly Rs 700 crore, according to his election affidavit.

Nakul Nath is among the 113 candidates who have filed their nomination papers for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in the central state on April 19. The filing of nomination papers for this phase drew to a close on Wednesday.

As per his affidavit, Nakul Nath’s wealth has gone up by Rs 40 crore in the past five years.

In his latest submission to the Election Commission, Nakul Nath has declared movable property, including cash, shares and bonds, worth Rs 649.51 crore and Rs 48.07 crore of immovable property.

The sitting Chhindwara MP, son of former chief minister and influential Congress leader Kamal Nath, had topped the list of 475 Lok Sabha crorepati members in 2019, according to the non-profit Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR).

According to ADR, the entrepreneur politician had declared assets worth Rs 660 crore in 2019 when he contested from Chhindwara, the pocket borough of his father, and emerged as the only Congress winner in the state.

That year, the BJP had won 28 of the 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh.

Kamal Nath, who successfully contested from Chhindwara, had declared assets worth Rs 134 crore in his poll affidavit ahead of last year’s assembly elections, according to ADR.

Notably, Nakul Nath frequently uses an aircraft but does not have a car, according to his affidavit.

To breach the citadel of the Naths, the BJP is raking up Kamal Nath’s flying machines to script a narrative of wealthy-versus-commoner after pitting its candidate Vivek Sahu against Nakul Nath.

The Congress has been on a winning streak from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat since 1952, it has lost just once to the BJP. Kamal Nath had won this seat for a record nine times.

“A big Congress leader. A very big leader… keeps two, not one, helicopters at his house. When he returns, he lands the chopper right inside his home. He had been an MP chief minister,” Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had said at an election rally in Sidhi recently.

Mr Yadav said his government had decided that there would be a helicopter but the poor will have access to it. “To rush poor people to hospitals for urgent treatment,” Yadav had said, seeking to shed light on the state’s recently launched air ambulance service for citizens during medical emergencies.

BJP candidate Sahu has also attacked the former CM over his helicopter use during public outreaches. According to locals, Mr Nath has two helipads at his residence in the Shikrapur area of Chhindwara.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Ali Fazal, Richa Chadha to launch homegrown fashion label, empower local artisans

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Richa expressed, “We’ve consistently aimed to engage with grassroots communities in our work. Supporting local communities has always been integral to our social initiatives.”





Updated On – 28 March 2024, 04:06 PM


Ali Fazal, Richa Chadha to launch homegrown fashion label, empower local artisans


Mumbai: Bollywood couple Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha are set to launch their own homegrown fashion label that places a spotlight on local artisans.

With their label, the couple aims to breathe new life into one of the oldest forms of art deeply embedded in Indian culture.

They aim at rejuvenating the community of local artisans from Lucknow.

Richa said: “We have both always strived to work at a grassroot community level with whatever we do. We have always wanted to sport local communities, our social endeavours too always are something we strive to do from a grassroots legal up.”

“So when the idea struck us to want to do something for the artisans, especially those in Lucknow who have years and years of art they have been practising, we wanted the label to be a reflection of that.”

Richa revealed that she and her husband have always been in “awe of the skill of local artisans, particularly those involved in crafting exquisite intricate work in textiles.”

The actress added: “In today’s age barring a handful, a lot of local art and artisans are vanishing and are struggling to survive with technology and mass produced things taking over. So we wanted to preserve this and help a community to showcase their work, their art, their talent.”

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PV Sindhu Advances To Madrid Masters Quarter-Finals

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Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu continued her impressive run at the Madrid Spain Masters, advancing to the quarterfinals with a comfortable straight-game win over Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Hsun in Madrid on Thursday. It was a smooth performance from Sindhu as she was hardly tested by the Taiwanese qualifier, ranked world no. 63, resulting in a 21-14 21-12 win in 36 minutes. The former world champion, who finished runner-up in the last edition, will take on either sixth seed Supanida Katethong of Thailand or Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira.

In the opening game, Sindhu was 3-0 up initially but then entered a phase where she often found the net or went long, while her rival produced some precise returns to grab a 7-6 lead before taking a one-point advantage with a straight down-the-line smash.

The Indian, however, produced a better show after resumption, taking a 18-12 cushion with Yu-Hsun making errors. She soon grabbed eight game points, wasted two of them before sealing the opening game with her trademark smash.

After the change of sides, Yu-Hsun struggled to control the shuttle as her lifts repeatedly went long. The Taiwanese shuttler tried to use her drops and placements but she didn’t have power in her smashes.

The result was Sindhu quietly waited for her opponent to commit errors. Soon she had a five-point advantage at the break. Every time Yu-Hsun tried to extend the rallies, she ended up with unforced errors.

Soon a smash handed another eight match points to Sindhu and she wrapped it up when her opponent sprayed into net again.

With top seed Carolina Marin of Spain pulling out of the tournament after her title-winning run at the All England Championships and Swiss Open in the last two weeks, Sindhu is now the favourite to claim the crown and end a long wait.

Sindhu won her last BWF tour title at the 2022 Singapore Open Super 500.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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New York City Becomes 1st US City To Impose $15 Congestion Toll

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New York City Becomes 1st US City To Impose $15 Congestion Toll

Trucks and sightseeing buses will pay between $24 and $36 during the day (Representational)

Traveling in New York is already costly, but it just got worse: transit authorities have approved a controversial $15 toll, set to take effect in mid-June, for motorists entering the busiest part of Manhattan.

The board of New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday voted 11-1 to impose the toll, which is aimed at encouraging the use of public transport and alleviating traffic in midtown and lower Manhattan, thereby reducing pollution.

The fee will be a first in an American city, and is similar to existing schemes in London, Stockholm and Singapore. It must first gain federal approval, and systems for collecting the tolls must be put in place.

Passenger and small commercial vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street from Queens, Brooklyn and neighboring New Jersey will pay $15 during the day and $3.75 at night — on top of any bridge or tunnel fees they already incur.

Trucks and sightseeing buses will pay between $24 and $36 during the day, and less at night. Taxis will charge passengers $1.25 per trip into the zone, and rideshare apps such as Uber will be authorized to charge $2.50 per trip, the MTA says.

Only emergency vehicles, those carrying disabled passengers and specialized city vehicles will be exempt. Low-income drivers living in the congestion zone will be eligible for reduced fees.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber called the vote “one of the most significant the board has ever undertaken,” and said in a statement: “The MTA is ready.”

In preparation, service has been bolstered on 12 subway lines, bus networks have been redesigned, and commuter rail service from Long Island has been boosted, the transit authority said.

The more than $1 billion that the MTA hopes to raise from the new toll will go towards renovating subway stations to make them more accessible, modernizing subway signals and funding system expansions.

“One of the biggest goals of this is to finally attack congestion, but the other side of the equation is to invest more in transit,” Lieber said.

But critics, especially already stressed-out commuters, have howled over the new toll, and several lawsuits are already under way.

In December 2017, authorities in Virginia imposed tolls on solo commuters using Interstate 66 at peak times to get to the capital Washington, but New York would be the first US city to levy a congestion toll.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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US Says Baltimore Bridge, Port Recovery Will Be "Very Long Road"

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US Says Baltimore Bridge, Port Recovery Will Be 'Very Long Road'

Baltimore is the biggest vehicle-handling port in the United States.

Washington:

A ship carrying a giant crane was en route Thursday to the scene of the catastrophic bridge collapse over Baltimore harbor, as authorities warned of extensive work before the major US port can reopen.

The machinery will be deployed in a tricky operation to clear the twisted steel remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge from where it fell 185 feet (56 meters) into the Patapsco River — blocking the entrance to the Port of Baltimore — after being struck by a massive cargo ship early Tuesday.

“We are moving heaven and earth” to get the commercial hub up and running again, senior White House official Tom Perez told MSNBC.

“There’s a heavy lift crane vessel that will be there later today to help with the debris,” he said.

Officials cautioned there would be challenges ahead, as efforts to recover the bodies of the four men still missing were called off late Wednesday when it was determined to be too dangerous to send divers into the wreckage.

“We’re… incredibly sensitive to the notion that this is also the resting place for four fathers, for four brothers, for four sons,” Perez added.

The missing men, all Latin American immigrants, are believed to have been killed when the Singapore-flagged 1,000-foot container ship Dali lost power and careened into a bridge support column.

Nearly the entire steel structure — crossed by tens of thousands of motorists each day — collapsed within seconds.

The workers were part of an eight-person road repair crew working an overnight shift. Two were rescued shortly after the collapse, and two bodies were recovered Wednesday.

Area residents attended a vigil at a nearby park Thursday morning, local media reported, while the Baltimore mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs established a relief fund to raise money for the victims’ families.

“Our hearts are with the families,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore told reporters, adding, “We are so sorry for this tragedy.”

He urged patience, saying, “This work (to rebuild) is not going to take hours, this work is not going to take days, this work is not going to take weeks.”

“We have a very long road ahead of us.”

– ‘Substantial loss’ –

Moore announced the Maryland Department of Transportation had asked the Biden administration for an initial $60 million for “immediate response efforts, and to lay the foundation for a rapid recovery.”

President Joe Biden earlier in the week pledged the federal government would cover the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge.

The disaster could result in the largest marine insurance payout ever, according to the head of insurance giant Lloyd’s of London, Bruce Carnegie-Brown.

“It feels like a very substantial loss, potentially the largest-ever marine insured loss, but not outside parameters that we plan for,” he told CNBC.

The harbor’s closure also raised concerns for the local economy — with 140,000 jobs supported by the port — and the wider national supply chain.

Baltimore is the biggest vehicle-handling port in the country, including cars and heavy farm equipment, according to US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. About $100 to $200 million in value comes through the port daily.

Up the coast from Baltimore, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will plan take on additional cargo to help blunt the supply chain impacts, the governors of those states pledged in a joint statement Thursday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Security Tightened In UP's Aligarh After Gangster Mukhtar Ansari's Death

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Security Tightened In UP's Aligarh After Gangster Mukhtar Ansari's Death

Jailed gangster-turned-politician, Mukhtar Ansari died due to cardiac arrest on Thursday.

Aligarh, UP:

 Security arrangements have been tightened in UP’s Aligarh after the death of Mukhtar Ansari, who suffered cardiac arrest on Thursday night.

Police conducted a flag march in the area, and an alert has also been issued in the entire state, said IG Aligarh Range Shalabh Mathur.

“After the death of Mukhtar Ansari, an alert has been issued in the entire state. There is also an alert in the area regarding this and now SSP Aligarh is with us and taking stock regarding this. Police administration will remain alert on all these points. All the officials will monitor the spread of rumours on social media,” he added.

The dreaded gangster was brought to the hospital around 8:25 PM, according to the official release from the hospital. A team of nine doctors attended to him before he died, the release added.

Expressing condolences over the death of Mukhtar Ansari, the Samajwadi Party shared a post on Twitter that read, “Sad demise of former MLA Shri Mukhtar Ansari. May his soul rest in peace. May the bereaved family members get the strength to bear this immense sorrow. Humble tribute !”.

Speaking on the same, Congress leader Surendra Rajput launched an attack on the BJP and said, “Today Mukhtar Ansari’s death in jail raises a big question for the BJP-led UP Government…This should be investigated thoroughly so that everyone gets to know what is going on.”

Speaking to ANI, Naseem Haider, the lawyer for Mukhtar Ansari, said, “I received information that he has been brought here, so I have come here.”

On Tuesday, he was admitted to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda after he complained of abdominal pain. He was then shifted to Uttar Pradesh’s Rani Durgawati Medical College after his discharge on Tuesday.

Ansari was elected as an MLA from the Mau assembly seat five times, including twice as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. He had a strong influence in Ghazipur, his hometown.

In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP MLA court. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 13, 2024, in a case related to the use of forged documents for obtaining an arms licence in 1990.

Before this, in December 2023, the MP/MLA Court of Varanasi had found Mukhtar Ansari guilty of threatening Mahavir Prasad Rungta, a witness in the murder of 26-year-old coal businessman Nand Kishor Rungta, and had sentenced him to five and a half years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 against him.

On October 15, last year, the Enforcement Directorate attached lands, a building and bank deposits worth more than Rs 73.43 lakh as part of the money laundering investigation against Mukhtar Ansari.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Security Tightened In UP's Aligarh After Gangster Mukhtar Ansari's Death

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Security Tightened In UP's Aligarh After Gangster Mukhtar Ansari's Death

Jailed gangster-turned-politician, Mukhtar Ansari died due to cardiac arrest on Thursday.

Aligarh, UP:

 Security arrangements have been tightened in UP’s Aligarh after the death of Mukhtar Ansari, who suffered cardiac arrest on Thursday night.

Police conducted a flag march in the area, and an alert has also been issued in the entire state, said IG Aligarh Range Shalabh Mathur.

“After the death of Mukhtar Ansari, an alert has been issued in the entire state. There is also an alert in the area regarding this and now SSP Aligarh is with us and taking stock regarding this. Police administration will remain alert on all these points. All the officials will monitor the spread of rumours on social media,” he added.

The dreaded gangster was brought to the hospital around 8:25 PM, according to the official release from the hospital. A team of nine doctors attended to him before he died, the release added.

Expressing condolences over the death of Mukhtar Ansari, the Samajwadi Party shared a post on Twitter that read, “Sad demise of former MLA Shri Mukhtar Ansari. May his soul rest in peace. May the bereaved family members get the strength to bear this immense sorrow. Humble tribute !”.

Speaking on the same, Congress leader Surendra Rajput launched an attack on the BJP and said, “Today Mukhtar Ansari’s death in jail raises a big question for the BJP-led UP Government…This should be investigated thoroughly so that everyone gets to know what is going on.”

Speaking to ANI, Naseem Haider, the lawyer for Mukhtar Ansari, said, “I received information that he has been brought here, so I have come here.”

On Tuesday, he was admitted to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda after he complained of abdominal pain. He was then shifted to Uttar Pradesh’s Rani Durgawati Medical College after his discharge on Tuesday.

Ansari was elected as an MLA from the Mau assembly seat five times, including twice as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. He had a strong influence in Ghazipur, his hometown.

In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP MLA court. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 13, 2024, in a case related to the use of forged documents for obtaining an arms licence in 1990.

Before this, in December 2023, the MP/MLA Court of Varanasi had found Mukhtar Ansari guilty of threatening Mahavir Prasad Rungta, a witness in the murder of 26-year-old coal businessman Nand Kishor Rungta, and had sentenced him to five and a half years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 against him.

On October 15, last year, the Enforcement Directorate attached lands, a building and bank deposits worth more than Rs 73.43 lakh as part of the money laundering investigation against Mukhtar Ansari.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Key Conspirator In Bengaluru Cafe Blast Case Arrested

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The Rameshwaram Cafe resumed operations on March 9, eight days after the blast.

The key conspirator in the Rameshwaram cafe blast case in Bengaluru was arrested by the National Investigation Agency today after massive raids across multiple locations in three states. Several customers and hotel staff members were injured in the blast on March 1, which caused extensive damage to the popular cafe.

Muzammil Shareef, who extended logistic support to the other two identified accused in the case, was arrested after the National Investigation Agency or NIA teams cracked down at 18 locations – 12 in Karnataka, 5 in Tamil Nadu and one in Uttar Pradesh.

NIA, which took over the case on March 3, had earlier identified the main accused, Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain, who had carried out the blast. It also identified another conspirator, Abdul Matheen Taha, wanted by the agency in other cases. Both the men are on the run.

Abdul Matheen Taha has been missing since 2020.

Mussavir Shazeeb Hussain allegedly left behind a bag in the cafe which had an IED in it.

Earlier, the NIA had sought people’s help in identifying the suspect. The Central Crime Branch of the Bengaluru police is also assisting the anti-terror agency in the case. It also shared multiple videos and pictures of the main accused so that he could be identified.

Raids were conducted today at the houses of all the three accused, as well as the residential premises and shops of other suspects. Various digital devices were seized during the searches, along with cash.

On March 13, the NIA detained a man believed to be an accomplice of the main suspect.

The Rameshwaram Cafe resumed operations on March 9 – eight days after the blast – with enhanced security measures. Metal detectors have been installed at the entrance, and customers are subjected to screening using handheld detectors to ensure the safety of patrons and staff.