Umamageswari Maruthappan
The Uttar Pradesh Government has placed a petition before the Supreme Court, seeking to direct the Punjab Government to hand over the Bahujan Samaj Party MLA, Mukhtar Ansari.
Uttar Pradesh has moved the Apex Court in this regard with a view to proceed with the trials of 10 criminal cases against him. All of these are serious charges and FIRs are registered under the Gangster Act and the Indian Penal Code.
On 11th January 2021, the Top Court gave the Punjab Government and Mukhtar Ansari two weeks to respond to the plea of the Uttar Pradesh Government.
The petition on transferring Ansari from Ropar Jail, Punjab to Ghaziabad Jail in Uttar Pradesh was heard by Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy, and M.R. Shah.
The Government has alleged that the BSP MLA has managed to escape around 26 warrants issued by the Prayagraj Court citing medical reasons like diabetes, hypertension, allergies.
The plea also listed the number of warrants that were issued against Ansari. While one was sent in February 2019, two each were issued in March, April, and June 2019.
Later, six in July, five in August, three in October and one in November 2019 was ordered. Further, two warrants each in January and February 2020 were also issued.
However, all these orders were turned down and the Punjab Police refused to send Ansari stating medical reasons.
However, the UP Government, in its plea, stated that the MLA was “absolutely fit” when he was leaving to the Mohali Court.
Moreover, it is contended that Ansari also had not applied for bail in the extortion case for which he is under Punjab’s custody. Additionally, the Punjab Police also lapsed the required period of completing its probe. This consequently entitles Ansari to a “default bail”.
Nevertheless, the MLA is still continuing to be in the Ropar Jail. This, the Adityanath Government claimed to be a “preconceived design of Ansari to escape the clutches of the law in UP”.
The Uttar Pradesh Government highlighted its duty as a State in preventing Ansari’s attempt to evade the law.
The sitting BSP MLA is in the Ropar Jail of Punjab in remand for 2 years for charges which Uttar Pradesh claims to be a “minor” one.
The UP Government is continuously pressing the Punjab Government to hand over Ansari as trials cannot proceed further without the presence of the accused. It had even sent a team to Mohali in October 2020 to take over Ansari’s custody, but in vain.
It is to be noted that Ansari was taken under the custody of Mohali Court in Punjab on 22nd January 2019 without the permission of the Prayagraj Court.
Further, neither a charge sheet has been registered by the Punjab Police against the MLA nor they have submitted any report in this regard.
The case is pending before the Supreme Court. Earlier, on 18th December 2020, the Apex Court had issued a notice to the Ropar Jail Superintendent Daljit Singh in this regard.