NEW DELHI: Gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari's Son, Umar Ansari has filed a plea in the Supreme Court for a direction to shift his father from Banda jail in Uttar Pradesh to any other state ruled by any other party than the BJP, alleging "a grave danger and imminent threat to his life due to conspiracy to assassinate him".
He also sought a direction for production of Ansari before courts only through virtual conferencing in pending cases, as information was received by the jailed gangster of the plan afoot by several actors within the state.
The plea claimed the petitioners father is a well-known political figure in the State of Uttar Pradesh and has been a Member of Legislative Assembly for five consecutive terms from Mau constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
As the Petitioners father is from a political party that is in opposition, politically and ideologically, to the ruling dispensation in the State, the Petitioner, his father, brother and their family have been targets of persecution by the State, it alleged.
The State has consistently been taking a personally inimical position against his family, particularly his father, but now he has received reliable information that his life is in grave danger and there is a conspiracy afoot involving several actors within the state establishment to assassinate him in Banda jail," it claimed.
The plea contended that anti-social elements in the state have been emboldened enough to commit murders within full public view and moreover, on live television, in the presence of media and the police such as in the case of Atique Ahmad.
It is clear that there is an emerging pattern in these custodial killings where persons belonging to the political opposition are the main targets, the plea said.
The petitioner claimed the modus operandi of assassination of his father, five-term MLA would be one which is not novel but as has been used to carry out killings in jail in several other cases.
He referred "disturbing pattern of extra judicial killings" of several accused persons including former MP and gangster Atiq Ahmad and his brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf.
The plea claimed there is an emerging pattern in these custodial killings where persons belonging to the political opposition are the main targets.
"This court cannot be a helpless bystander when the rule of law is being challenged with impunity to the prejudice of this petitioner and his father. The petitioner seeks immediate intervention of this Court to protect the Right to Life of his father as enshrined and cherished under Article 21 of the Constitution," the plea contended.
It further stated the petitioners father is 60 years old and is suffering from various health ailments including ailments relating to the heart. "The constant fear of life and limb in the State of Uttar Pradesh is highly detrimental to his health and therefore, there is a strong case for his transfer to a prison in another State from where he can attend the trials via video conferencing," it stated.
