UP: Gangsters Act slapped on Mukhtar Ansari’s wife, her brothers

VARANASI: Already in the line of fire since past four months, jailed mafia don and MLA Mukhtar Ansari suffered another jolt when Ghazipur police booked his wife Afsha Ansari, her brothers Sharjil Raja and Anwar Shehjad under Gangsters Act for grabbing land that had been seized and attached by administration, embezzlement and other criminal activities.
SP Ghazipur O P Singh said on Saturday, “Police have filed chargesheets against Mukhtar’s wife and her brothers in the cases of illegal trespass and embezzlement registered in 2019. They have been booked under Gangsters Act in regard to the same cases. Further action under Gangsters Act has been initiated as per due process.”
“Afsha and her brothers are running an organised gang. They had captured land that had already been confiscated and attached on the order of district magistrate in Chhawni Line area under Kotwali police station area. They had also grabbed another confiscated land in Baveri area under Kotwali police station. Sharjil and Anwar had furnished fake documents to grab government contracts. Separate FIR had been lodged in these three cases,” the SP informed.
Another case of embezzlement and other criminal activities had been registered against Afsha at Saidpur police station in 2016, he added. They have been booked under Gangsters Act due to their organised criminal activities, said Singh.
Earlier, on September 9, Varanasi district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma had ordered cancellation of the arms licence of Meraz Ahmed alias Bhai Meraz, a core member of Mukhtar gang.
ADG Varanasi zone Brij Bhushan said Meraz hails from Karimuddinpur area in Ghazipur, but was living in Ashok Vihar area under Jaitpura police station.
“He did not disclose the criminal cases lodged against him and procured the arms licence using fake documents. Over a dozen criminal cases are lodged against Meraz in Varanasi and Rae Bareli. He had come to limelight after sensational killing of four persons at Maldahiya in 2002. After investigation, police registered a case under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 470 and 471 of IPC against him and sent a report to DM,” Bhushan added.
Ansari’s gang is facing action since May-end. Police targeted his aids involved in extortion, grabbing contracts in government departments, and ended their monopoly in fish and meat trade. Land of government and individuals grabbed by Mukhtar’s family members and henchmen was also freed. As per police records, the action has caused loss of over Rs 115 crore to Mukhtar gang in east UP.