Uttar Pradesh on high alert after death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari

Gangster Mukhtar Ansari was reported to have died last night.

New Delhi:
Security has been stepped up in several towns in Uttar Pradesh after gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest. However, his family claimed that the gangster, who had been in jail since 2005, was poisoned.

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A state-wide ban on large gatherings has been imposed and additional security personnel have been deployed in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi districts.
The jailed gangster was rushed to hospital in Banda after he fell unconscious at the regional prison on Thursday night. Doctors at Rani Durgavati Medical College declared him dead a few hours later.
While the hospital said the cause of death was cardiac arrest, Mukhtar Ansari’s son and brother have called for an investigation because they believe he was poisoned in prison.
“I came to see him two days ago but was not allowed. Despite being unwell, he was sent to jail. How could he have a heart attack if his stomach was bloated? In the video that went viral, you can see him His son Umar Ansari told the media: “His belly was bloated. His condition is serious. He was admitted to the intensive care unit. But 12 to 14 hours later, he was returned to prison. “
A team of five doctors will conduct an autopsy today. A heavy police presence was deployed outside the Banda hospital where Mukhtar died.
Ansari, who is from Mau, is also believed to have great influence in the adjoining districts of Ghazipur and Varanasi. A large crowd has gathered outside the house of former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA in Ghazipur.
Uttar Pradesh Police Chief Prashant Kumar said that Section 144 of the CrPC has been implemented across the state as a precautionary measure.
The Central Reserve Police Force has also been brought in to assist the police. Central Reserve Police Force has been deployed in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi.
The Uttar Pradesh Police’s social media team is also on high alert to track “illegal elements” who may try to trigger riots.
Mukhtar Ansari, a five-time provincial councilor from the Mau Sadar seat, currently has 60 criminal cases pending. He has been sentenced in 8 cases in different courts in UP since September 2022 and is lodged in Banda jail.