Jailed gangster and mafia turned politician Mukhtar Ansari, 63, who suffered a heart-attack earlier in the day at the Banda jail and was taken to Banda Medical College hospital, was declared dead by the hospital.
He complained of vomiting and fell unconscious in Banda jail and was taken to Banda hospital where he died due to a cardiac arrest, said the hospital release.
Earlier, his lawyer Naseem Haider, sitting outside the hospital, said,"I received information that he has been brought here, so I have come here."
Security Tightened In Mau, Ghazipur and Banda
Security has been tightened in Mau, Ghazipur and Banda districts after news of Ansari's death.
Family Alleges Poisoning
Ansari and his brother Afzaal Ansari had earlier claimed that Mukhtar was being posined in the jail.
Mukhtar Ansari had written in the letter that the food given to him on March 19 was mixed with some poisonous substance. He also fell ill after eating it.
He had mentioned in the letter that after eating the food, he experienced severe pain in the nerves of his hands and legs. His hands and feet started becoming cold, he alleged. Earlier, on March 13, Ansari who was lodged in the Banda jail, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the 36-year-old Ghazipur fake arms license case.
5-Time MLA From Mau And Mafia Don Image
Mukhtar Ansari was elected as an MLA from the Mau assembly seat five times. He also wielded considerable influence in Ghazipur, his hometown. However, his mafia don image and involvement in the killing of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai proved to be his undoing as he was in the jail for a number of years before his death.
He was lodged in Banda jail from where he was taken to the hospital after he suffered from a cardiac arrest and was declared dead. His brother Afzaal Ansari is an MP from Ghazipur constituency.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) posted a condolence message after the death of Mukhtar Ansari.
