Fearing an encounter, BSP MLA Mukhtar Ansari’s wife knocks on the door of SC seeking protection for her spouse

FEARING that her husband would be killed in a state-sponsored encounter, the wife of BSP MLA Mukhtar Ansari on Tuesday knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court to ask for adequate protection of her husband while transiting from a jail in Punjab to Banda jail in Uttar Pradesh where he faces trial in several cases in the state.

In her plea, Afsan Ansari said adequate protection must be provided to her husband by the designated authorities so that the trials reach a conclusion and it does not end in a state-sponsored encounter.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Government, following the SC's order, handed over Ansari's custody to the UP police. He is currently en route to Banda jail.

The Supreme Court on March 26 ordered the Punjab Government to hand over Ansari, an accused involved in various cases of attempt to murder, murder, cheating and conspiracy apart from offences under the Gangsters Act, to the UP police so that he can be put on trial.

"There is a hanging threat to the life of the Petitioner's husband and there are very high chances that he will be eliminated if adequate protection or safeguards towards his life are not directed by the Supreme Court", the plea said.

The plea also made reference to the encounter of gangster Vikas Dubey while he was being brought to UP from Ujjain.

The petitioner requested that Ansari's transit from one jail to another and from jail to the court where he is being produced for trial in UP, be video graphed and the same be carried out in the presence of central forces.

The petitioner alleged that after the Supreme Court passed an order to hand over Ansari to the UP police, members of the ruling party had continued to make statements on social media platforms and in the newspapers that her husband would be killed while being brought to UP.

The plea cited a tweet by BJP MLA Anand Swarup Shukhla saying "Bakre Ki Ammi Kab tak Khair manayegi".