Awadesh Rai murder: Mukhtar Ansari awarded life imprisonment

Source: DailyO

A court in Varanasi on Monday awarded life imprisonment the gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari for the murder of a Congress leader's brother, Awadhesh Rai. Avanish Gautam awarded life imprisonment to Ansari and also imposed a fine of Rs. 1.20 lakh on him. This statement was given by a procetution lawyer outside the Varansi Court. Awadhesh Rai, the brother of Congress leader Ajay Rai, was shot dead on August 3, 1991, at the gate of his Lahurabir residence in Varanasi. 61 criminal cases were registered against Ansari. Ansari had already been convicted in four other criminal cases.

Ajay Rai is now a regional chief of his party's Uttar Pradesh unit. The MP-MLA court's special judge Avnish Gautam was the judge of in this case. Ansari attended the court proceeding through video conference from Banda jail.

After this decision Ajay Rai was very happy and said that this was the end of our family’s long time wait. “We did not give up. Because of our lawyers’ efforts, today the court has found Mukhtar guilty in the murder of my brother,” Rai added.

He was sentenced to 10 years in imprisonment in April by a court in Ghaziapur in Uttar Pradesh under Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. This case was registered at Mohammadabad police station in Ghaziapur district in 2007. This was the fourth case in which Ansari who was lodged in Banda district jail was convicted.

What was the incident?

On 3 Augutst, 1991 Awdesh Rai was shot dead outside his Lahurabir house in Varanasi. Miscreants shot at him from a van. Ajay Rai was also there with him. A case was lodged against Mukhtar Ansari, Former MLA Abdul Kalam, Bheem Singh, Kamlesh Singh and Rakesh. Abdul Kalam and Kamlesh Singh died during the trial. Rakesh’s case was pending in a Praygraj Court.