A court here on Wednesday acquitted gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari in a 2009 attempt to murder case.
Government counsel Neeraj Kumar Srivastav said the case of attempt to murder (IPC section 307) of one Meer Hasan of Mohammadabad police station was heard in the court of Additional Sessions Judge/First MP-MLA Durgesh.
"The court, after hearing the case, acquitted Ansari by giving him the benefit of doubt," he said.
Ansari, who is currently lodged in Banda jail, joined the proceedings via video conferencing.
Srivastav, however, said the acquittal will not lead to the release of Ansari as he is accused in several other cases and was also convicted in a case recently.
Talking about the 2009 case, he said, "Meer Hasan was shot at by two men in 2009. One of the assailants, Sonu Yadav, later threatened Hasan and asked him to meet Ansari in jail. Police after investigating the matter filed a charge sheet against Yadav and Ansari in the case."
In April this year, the same court had sentenced the gangster-politician and his brother and BSP MP Afzal Ansari to imprisonment for 10 years and four years, respectively in a 2007 Gangsters Act case.
Mukhtar had been an MLA for five consecutive terms from the Mau Sadar assembly seat.
The gangster-politician did not contest the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and his seat was won by his son Abbas Ansari from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).
-With PTI Input
