NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, asking it to file a reply in response to the plea of Mau MLA Abbas Ansari seeking bail. The plea relates to a case filed against Ansari over alleged 'illegal' prison visits by his wife.
Ansari, the elder son of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, was booked last year by the Uttar Pradesh Police on allegations that his wife had been visiting him inside jail for extended periods without any restriction.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Ansari, informed the court that Section 387 of the IPC has also been invoked against his client in this case.
Ansari has challenged the Allahabad High Court's May order, which had rejected his bail application. The High Court had noted concerns that if Ansari could influence jail authorities, he might also be able to influence witnesses in the case upon his release.
Ansari is accused of illegally meeting his wife, Nikhat, in the office of the prison superintendent at Chitrakoot jail. Reports indicate that these meetings between the couple lasted several hours.