LUCKNOW, June 5:
A court in Varanasi today awarded life sentence to gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari in the murder of a Congress leader’s brother, Awadhesh Rai, more than 30 years ago.
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. A case was registered against Ansari and others.
Ansari faces 61 criminal cases in different States of which he has now been convicted in six. In April, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail by a court in Ghazipur under the Gangsters Act.
Ajay Rai is now a regional chief of his party’s Uttar Pradesh unit.
The MP-MLA court’s special judge Avanish Gautam awarded life sentence to Ansari and imposed a Rs 1.20 lakh fine on him, a lawyer told reporters outside the Varanasi court. Ansari attended the court proceeding from Banda jail through video conference.
Ajay Rai welcomed the judgement and said, “This is the end of our 32-year struggle against a notorious criminal. I, my parents, Awadhesh’s daughter and the whole family kept patience… Governments came and went and Mukhtar strengthened himself.
“But we did not give up. Because of our lawyers’ efforts, today the court has found Mukhtar guilty in the murder case of my brother,” Rai added.
He asserted that those who stand up to gangsters and fight will get justice.
“We received threats. I have been demanding security and it should be enhanced. If something happens to me, the BJP Government will be responsible,” Rai said.
Ansari’s counsel had urged the court to consider the convict’s age while pronouncing the judgement. The lawyer said they would appeal in a higher court after going through the verdict. (PTI)
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