LUCKNOW: The death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who straddled the two worlds — crime and politics has drawn curtains on an era of crime and terror that plagued UP, especially its eastern and central regions, for four decades.
Mukhtar got implicated in his first criminal case in 1978 at the age of 15, followed by the first murder case in 1986, he ruled the political landscape of eastern UP by representing Mau, his constituency, and more of his fiefdom, for five terms since 1996 till 2017 through 2002, 2007, 2012.
Mukhtar had over 60 cases of multiple criminal offenses, including 16 of murder lodged against him. His gang IS 191 in police records was dubbed as the most notorious in the country by the Allahabad High Court, but his first conviction came through in September 2022. Since then, he was sentenced in eight of those over 60 cases till March 13, 2024.
In fact, Mukhtar had a very illustrious legacy behind him. He was born on June 30, 1963, into an educated family, with his grandfather Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari being a freedom fighter, a Congress president in 1927, a very close aide of Mahatma Gandhi, and one of the founders of Jamia Milia University in Delhi. Delhi’s Ansari Road and Ansari Nagar near All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) are named after MA Ansari.
On the other hand, his maternal grandfather, Brigadier Mohammad Usman, was the highest-ranking official in the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Even today, Brigadier Usman is the only military officer who made the supreme sacrifice in the battlefield while holding this rank (Brigadier) during the battle of Nowshera, which ultimately became a part of India in 1948.
“Death of mafia don Ansari is indeed the end of an era in UP’s history of Bahubalis. If we talk about UP’s Bahubalis, Mukhtar and Atiq Ahmed used to top the list of most notorious criminals. It is all passe now,” said Brij Lal, former DGP of UP.
Popularly known as Mukhtar junior, Ansari was the youngest among three brothers. Sigbatullah is eldest followed by Afzaal. A cricket buff, Ansari completed his schooling and graduation in Ghazipur, his home district in eastern UP.
During the early 1970s, when Mukhtar was still in his teens, he got drawn towards Makhanu Singh gang and got embroiled in a case of criminal intimidation lodged against him in Saidpur police station in 1978.
Brilliant forefathers
Mukhtar had a very illustrious legacy behind him. His grand-father Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari was a freedom fighter, a Congress president in 1927, a close aide of Mahatma Gandhi, and one of the founders of Jamia Milia University. Delhi’s Ansari Road and Ansari Nagar near AIIMS are named after him. His maternal grandfather, Brigadier Mohammad Usman, was the highest-ranking official in the Azad Hind Fauj of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.