Uttar Pradesh: Mukhtar Ansari gets 10 yrs jail in Gangster Act case

Ghazipur (UP): Mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment along with a penalty of Rs 5 lakh in a 13-year-old case under Gangster Act by an MP-MLA court here in Ghazipur district in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, prosecution sources said here.

Prosecution sources said that Mukhtar's aide Sonu Yadav has also been sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment along with a penalty of Rs 2 lakh in the case. "The MP-MLA court of Additional District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra held the two accused guilty on Thursday after which it pronounced the quantum of punishment on Friday," they said.

Prosecution sources said that while Mukhtar appeared through video conferencing from Banda jail, Sonu was present in the court when the judgement was pronounced. "The case against Mukhtar and his aide under Gangster Act was lodged following murder of Kapil Dev Singh, a resident of Karanda area, in the year 2009 and life threatening attack on Amir Hassan in Mohammadabad," they said.

Prosecution sources said that Mukhtar would be required to serve an additional jail term of two years if he fails to deposit the penalty amount. "Similarly, Sonu would be required to serve an additional jail term of one year," they said.

Police sources said that Mukhtar has been convicted by different courts in six cases so far in the last one year. On June 5, Mukhtar was sentenced to life imprisonment along with a penalty of Rs 1 lakh in the 32-year-old Awadhesh Rai murder case by an MP-MLA court here in Varanasi. (UNI)