NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to Uttar Pradesh MLA Abbas Ansari in a case registered under the stringent Gangsters Act.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh provided relief to Ansari, son of gangster Mukhtar Ansari, who died on March 28, 2024, by directing him to stay in his official accommodation in Lucknow only.
The court asked him to seek prior permission from authorities before visiting his constituency in Mau.
Ansari is an MLA from the Mau constituency representing Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party.
The bench further asked Ansari not to leave Uttar Pradesh without prior permission of the court and inform police authorities a day before appearing in court.
Arguing for Ansari, senior advocate Kapil Sibal contended that he has been granted bail in all cases except the present one. He said all the witnesses in the case are police officers.
Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, said the petitioner is an influential person, who could threaten witnesses if released even on interim bail.
The bench noted, the petitioner has been granted bail in all criminal cases except for the Gangsters Act case.
The court, however, sought a status report from the police on compliance of the bail conditions by Ansari in six weeks.
Ansari, though taken into custody in another criminal case on November 4, 2022, was arrested under the Gangsters Act on September 6, 2024.
On December 18, 2024, the Allahabad High Court rejected Ansari's bail plea in the case.
An FIR was lodged on August 31, 2024, at Kotwali Karvi Police Station in Chitrakoot district under Section 2, 3 of UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 against Ansari, Navneet Sachan, Niyaz Ansari, Faraz Khan and Shahbaz Alam Khan. They were accused of extortion and assault.
