Mukhtar Ansari’s lifer and Yogi’s birthday present

Mukhtar Ansari, a former mafia don who entered politics, was sentenced to life in jail on Monday in a 32-year-old murder case by the Varanasi MP MLA Court. The sentence’s announcement fell on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s birthday.

Following the historic decision, the chant “Har-Har Mahadev” resounded throughout the Varanasi court complex as attorneys cut a cake to celebrate Yogi Adityanath’s big day and credited the chief minister’s zero-tolerance approach to organised crime and persuasive courtroom advocacy for the outcome.

Mukhtar Ansari was sentenced to life in prison and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh by Special Judge (MP-MLA Court) Avnish Gautam. He will be sentenced to additional 6 months in jail if the fine is not paid. In the same instance, Mukhtar was also hit with a punishment of Rs 20,000 under a different clause.

Mukhtar, who is now detained at Banda prison, participated in the session through video conference. He originally asserted his innocence via his solicitors before requesting a reduction in the sentence on the grounds of his age.

He was given a three-year term under Section 148 of the IPC, along with a punishment of Rs. 20,000, and a life sentence under Section 302 and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh. The sentences will all be said simultaneously. He will have to serve an extra six months in prison if the fine is not paid.

Mukhtar Ansari was the subject of 61 cases in all, six of which—including five under the Yogi administration—resulted in his sentencing. In the 31 years and 10 month old murder case of Awadhesh Rai, the MP MLA court convicted Mukhtar Ansari to life in jail and assessed him a punishment of Rs. 1 lakh.