Shivani Thakur
Published on: June 14, 2022 at 16:08 IST
The Allahabad High Court called Mukhtar Ansari a dreaded and ‘White Collared’ criminal, an interstate mafia and canker in society while denying Bail in connection with a case over misappropriation of MLA Funds in the year 2012-13.
“It is indeed astounding and more amusing angle of the issue, that a person having more than 50+ criminal cases to his credit of various varieties, has managed his affairs in such a way that he has not received a single conviction order against him. Infact, it is slur and challenge to the judicial system that such a dreaded and ‘White Collared’ criminal in the field of crime undefeated and unabetted,” the Court remarked.
An FIR was filed against Ansari last year, alleging that in the years 2012, 2013, and 2014, Ansari, as an M.L.A., allotted Rs. 25 lacs from his M.L.A. fund to a school, but that when the money was inspected, it was discovered that the money had not been properly utilized by the said school.
During the examination, it was allegedly discovered that the land was not used for the construction of the school.
In his Plea, Ansari has claimed that it is the job of the district administration to check the veracity of the recommendations made by him and the schools.
The Court observed that , in the capacity of sitting M.L.A., Ansari utilized the public property in the shape of “Vidhayak Nidhi” for his own worker/President.
“The way and manner in which Rs. 25.00 lacs were handed over to his own alleged District President- Anand Yadav, speaks volumes about the applicant, which need not be elaboration. Interestingly, the counsel for the applicant has pleaded innocence, that at a relevant point of time, the applicant was serving out his incarceration and thus he was not in position to physically verify the departmental work. This argument per-se is very innocent but unfortunately do not contain any leg to stand over it. Million dollor questions remain unanswered, that if a sitting MLA is releasing the sum from his “Vidhayak Nidhi” to his own party President, it is the MLA concerned should be accountable for any misfeasance.”
Further, the Court observed that he has a rich criminal horoscope based on which, he can boast and claim himself to be a popular public figure, who was elected as MLA the six consecutive times.
“It is really uphill task to adjudicate, as to whether he is really a popular public figure? Or his nuisance value, which are giving dividends to him?,” the Court wondered.
In this context, the Court noted that “Vidhayak Nidhi” is a taxpayer’s hard-earned money, and that no one has the moral or legal authority to misappropriate it for personal benefit or for any other illegal purpose.
Lastly, the Court requested the Govt. of Uttar Pradesh to constitute a committee under the leadership of the Speaker of Assembly with three senior bureaucrats to audit the “ Vidhayak Nidhi” of individual MLA and its utilization.