New Delhi:
Security has been tightened in several Uttar Pradesh towns after gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of a cardiac arrest. His family though allege that the gangster, who has been in jail since 2005, was poisoned.

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New Delhi:

Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh late last evening.

Ansari was rushed to the hospital in Banda after he fell unconscious in the district jail at around 8.45 pm. He died at the Rani Durgavati Medical College during the treatment after suffering a cardiac arrest.

The family of Mukhtar Ansari – who had been in jail in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh since 2005 – has alleged that he was poisoned in the prison.

“Mukhtar said that he was given a poisonous substance in his food in jail. This happened for the second time. He was given poison around 40 days ago as well. And, recently, on March 19, he was again given this (poison) due to which his condition was bad,” his brother Afzal Ansari had been quoted as saying by PTI.

Mukhtar Ansari’s son Umar also alleged that his father was given poison in the food and said he would approach the court. “We said this before also and even today we will say the same thing. On March 19, he was poisoned in the dinner. We will move to the judiciary, we have full faith in it…,” he said.

Mukhtar Ansari’s lawyer had earlier this month alleged in the court that there was a threat to his life in Banda jail and that he was fed some poisonous substance along with his food. 

Several politicians including RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati have called for a probe into the dreaded gangster’s family’s allegations.

Security was stepped up outside the hospital after his death, and prohibitory orders were imposed across the state to maintain law and order. 

Officials said there was special deployment of forces in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh as well, where Ansari wields influence allegedly through a criminal syndicate.

Ansari’s autopsy will be conducted today at Banda Medical College Hospital.

Ansari had also been hospitalised in the early hours of Tuesday and discharged after nearly 14 hours. The prison department had said that Ansari’s health had deteriorated because he was fasting during Ramadan and he had fallen in the washroom.

Ansari, the five-time former MLA from Mau, had more than criminal cases against him, of which 15 were on murder charges. 

He had joined a gang in the 1980s and then formed his own in the 1990s. The gang was involved in extortion and kidnapping in the Mau, Ghazipur, Varanasi and Jaunpur districts.