Punjab ‘defending criminal Ansari’, U.P. tells Supreme Court
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Seeks custody of politician now lodged in a district jail in Punjab.
The Uttar Pradesh authorities accused its Punjab counterpart within the Supreme Court on Monday of “vociferously” defending politician Mukhtar Ansari, who’s in Rupnagar district jail in reference to an alleged extortion case.
Appearing earlier than a Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, showing for Uttar Pradesh, mentioned the Punjab authorities is “supporting a gangster”. Mr. Mehta mentioned Ansari, a BSP MLA from Mau constituency, is accused in circumstances involving a number of heinous offences.
“The State (Punjab) says Mukhtar Ansari is suffering from depression. Ansari says he belongs to a family of freedom fighters. The point is there are several cases of heinous offences lodged against him (in Uttar Pradesh). He is a gangster. He is happy in jail in Punjab,” Mr. Mehta submitted.
“Why should the State of Punjab support Mukhtar Ansari,” the Solicitor General requested.
The apex courtroom was listening to a plea filed by Uttar Pradesh searching for a route to Punjab and Rupnagar Jail authority to instantly hand over the custody of Ansari to District Jail, Banda. It has additionally sought a route to switch the criminal proceedings and trial within the extortion case in Punjab to the particular courtroom in Allahabad. Ansari has been lodged in Rupnagar in Punjab since January 2019.
The counsel showing for Ansari mentioned he has additionally filed a petition searching for switch of case from Uttar Pradesh to Punjab and that plea also needs to be heard together with this matter.
The Solicitor General nevertheless dismissed the switch petition as a “delay tactic”.
The courtroom scheduled the case for listening to on February 24.
