The widow of UP BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai has called the death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who killed her husband in 2005, as a blessing from God. Ansari, aged 63, suffered a cardiac arrest in Banda jail and passed away. Alka Rai, the widow, stated that this is a blessing from Lord Shiva and they had always prayed for justice. She expressed her joy and stated that the day feels like Holi for them. Mukhtar Ansari had been convicted and sentenced by an MP/MLA court to 10 years for the murder of Krishnanand Rai. The incident took place in Ghazipur in November 2005, when Rai and six others were shot dead while returning home after a cricket tournament inauguration.
The death of Ansari has brought relief to the family of Krishnanand Rai, who had gone through immense pain and suffering since the incident. Alka Rai mentioned that they had not celebrated Holi since then but this day feels like Holi for them. They believe that Lord Shiva has blessed them with justice. Mukhtar Ansari, a five-time MLA from Mau, had been behind bars since 2005, serving time in various jails across Punjab and UP. He had been involved in 65 cases, out of which he was convicted in eight. As of March 2024, there were 21 pending cases against him.
Ansari’s criminal activities were not limited to the murder of Krishnanand Rai. He was convicted for multiple crimes over the years. Recently, on March 13, he received a life sentence for acquiring an arms licence using forged documents in 1990. In June 2023, a Varanasi MP/MLA court sentenced him to life for the murder of Awadhesh Rai, the brother of UP Congress president Ajay Rai. He was also sentenced to 10 years and fined for his involvement in the 2009 murder of a teacher named Kapil Dev Singh. In December 2022, he was convicted in a 26-year-old Gangster Act case along with one of his associates.
Throughout his criminal career, Ansari faced legal consequences for his actions. In September 2022, the Allahabad High Court convicted him in two separate cases. One case involved threatening a jailer in 2003, and the other was a 1999 case. His assets worth over Rs 73.43 lakh were seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering investigation. Following Ansari’s death, police in Varanasi initiated patrolling to maintain order. However, Friday prayers passed off peacefully across the city.
Despite the relief and sense of justice that the widow and the family feel with the death of Mukhtar Ansari, it is a reminder of the troubled past and the loss they had suffered. The case serves as a reminder of the persistence of crime and the need for a robust legal system to ensure justice for the victims and their families.
