ED ‘arrests’ Mukhtar Ansari’s MLA son
PRAYAGRAJ : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) ‘arrested’ Abbas Ansari, the Mau MLA and the son of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in Prayagraj late on Friday night, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
Abbas, a Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) MLA , was summoned by the ED for questioning in connection with a money laundering case registered against his father to the ED office in Prayagraj on Friday where after daylong questioning, he was “arrested” and taken to Moti Lal Nehru Divisional (Colvin) Hospital for a medical examination at around 11 pm.
His driver Ravi Kumar Sharma of Ghazipur too has been detained. However, neither the ED nor any of its official has formally confirmed Abbas Ansari’s detention or “arrest”. Later in the afternoon on Saturday, Abbas Ansari was presented in the court of district judge, Prayagraj, Santosh Rai. The ED sought 14-day custody of Abbas Ansari for further questioning and collecting evidence while Abbas Ansari’s lawyers demanded security for him and that they also be allowed to remain present during questioning if the custody was allowed to ED. Besides, copies of all relevant documents also be made available to them so that they could reply to the allegations being levelled against their client. The district judge sent Abbas Ansari to a seven-day custody of the ED.
The ED had earlier issued summons to over half-a-dozen relatives and associates of Mukhtar Ansari for questioning in a case of money laundering registered against him in March 2021. Mukhtar is presently is lodged in Banda jail.
The ED had issued a lookout notice on October 11 against Mukhtar’s son Abbas Ansari and Mukhtar’s wife Afshan Ansari. However, Abbas was given relief by the Supreme Court. Following this, the ED had sent summons to him and his younger brother Umar on May 20 for questioning. A fresh summon was also issued by ED to Abbas later.
In response to the summons, Abbas along with his lawyer had arrived at the ED office located in Civil Lines on Friday afternoon. After almost nine hours of questioning, he was “arrested”. After his “arrest” and medical examination, he was taken to an unspecified destination.