Politician and convicted gangster Mukhtar Ansari passed away on Thursday night due to a cardiac arrest. Ansari, 63 had been lodged in Banda jail and was serving life imprisonment. Ansari was brought to the emergency department of Rani Durgavati Medical College at around 8:25 pm on Thursday after he complained of nausea and faintness. He ultimately succumbed to a cardiac arrest, according to a medical bulletin issued by the hospital.

Ansari, a five-term MLA from Mau, represented the Bahujan Samaj Party twice, his own party Quami Ekta Dal once, and contested as an independent twice. He had a criminal history and had been booked in 61 cases across Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, including many cases of murder. In 2022, he received his first conviction ever under the Yogi government’s campaign to bring mafias to justice.

Since 2022, Ansari had been convicted in eight cases, including two life imprisonments. The state government also confiscated his property worth close to Rs 300 crore. He gained notoriety for the killings of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005 and Awdhesh Rai, elder brother of Congress leader Ajay Rai, in 1991.

Following Ansari’s death, opposition leaders demanded a high-level inquiry. They alleged a state-orchestrated murder and questioned the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. Congress leader Surendra Rajput called for an enquiry supervised by a High Court sitting judge to investigate the situation in jails and the government’s handling of criminals. SP MP Javed Ali Khan expressed condolences to Ansari and called for justice. RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav criticized the lack of action despite Ansari’s complaints of being slow poisoned and demanded appropriate action from constitutional agencies.

The death of Mukhtar Ansari highlights the ongoing debate on law and order in Uttar Pradesh and the role of political criminals in the state. The opposition’s demand for a high-level enquiry reflects the contentious nature of Ansari’s case and the need for proper investigation and accountability.