Uttar Pradesh has ordered a judicial probe into the death of jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari who died of a cardiac arrest in Banda jail on Thursday.

Mukhtar Ansari Death: A court in Uttar Pradesh Friday ordered a judicial probe into the death of jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari who died of a cardiac arrest in the state’s Banda district jail on Thursday night.

According to officials, Banda Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Bhagwan Das Gupta ordered a judicial inquiry into Ansari’s death. The CJM appointed Garima Singh, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (MP-MLA Court Banda) as the investigating officer in the case, they said, adding that CJM Das has sought the probe report within a month.

Meanwhile, Mukhtar Ansari’s son, Umar Ansari has demanded that his father’s post-mortem be conducted by a team of doctors from AIIMS Delhi. In a letter to District Magistrate (DM) Banda, Umar asked that doctors from AIIMS, Delhi should be roped in to conduct the deceased gangster’s autopsy as the family does not trust the medico-legal system in Banda district.

‘My father was poisoned’

On Thursday, Umar Ansari had alleged that his father was served poison-laced food in the prison which resulted in his demise.

Hours after Mukhtar Ansari’s death due to cardiac arrest at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda, Umar claimed his father died due to slow poison and the family was mulling to move the court in the matter.

“I was not told anything from the administration side, I came to know about it through the media… But now the whole nation knows everything… Two days ago I came to meet him, but I was not allowed… We said earlier also and even today we will say the same about the allegation of giving slow poison. On March 19, he was poisoned in the dinner. We will move to the judiciary, we have full faith in it,” Umar Ansari told the media following his father’s death.

Opposition leaders demand probe

Notably, several opposition leaders have raised their doubt regarding the “mysterious circumstances” surrounding Ansari’s death, including the allegations from his family that he was subjected to “slow-poisoning” in the Banda jail.

Earlier in the day, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief had called for a probe supervised by a Supreme Court judge into such doubtful cases. “It is the foremost responsibility and duty of the government to protect someone’s life in every situation and at every place,” Yadav said in a post in Hindi on X.

“The death of a hostage or prisoner in any of the following circumstances will erode public confidence in the judicial process — while confined in a police station, in a fight inside the jail, on falling ill inside the prison, while being taken to hospital, during treatment in hospital, by showing a false encounter, by showing a false suicide, by showing casualties in an accident — all such doubtful cases should be probed under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge,” he added.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati also pitched for a high-level probe into Ansari’s death.

In a post in Hindi on X, she said: “The persistent apprehensions and serious allegations made by Mukhtar Ansari’s family regarding his death in jail require a high-level investigation so that the true facts of his death can be revealed.”

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had also demanded a probe into Ansari’s death.

“I pray to Allah to forgive Mukhtar Ansari and give patience to his family and his loved ones. The people of Ghazipur lost their favourite son and brother,” Owaisi said in his condolence message.

Owaisi alleged that Ansari was poisoned because he had “serious allegations against the administration”.

Despite this, the government did not pay any attention to his treatment. Condemnable and regrettable,” Owaisi wrote on X.

Mukhtar Ansari death

As per an official release, Mukhtar Ansari was brought to the medical college around 8.25 PM on Thursday in an unconscious state after he had complained of vomiting. A team of nine doctors attended to him but he died of cardiac arrest, it stated.

Officials at the police headquarters in Lucknow said Ansari’s post-mortem will be done in Banda and it will be videographed. The viscera will be preserved if needed, they said.

Earlier, Ansari was hospitalised for around 14 hours on Tuesday after he complained of abdominal pain.

(With inputs from agencies)