SC Issues Notice On Plea By Abbas Ansari To Attend 'Fatiha' Ceremony Of Deceased Father Mukhtar

The Supreme Court on Friday asked Uttar Pradesh to file its reply on Abbas Ansari's plea seeking to attend the 'Fatiha' ceremony scheduled to be held on April 10 in memory of his father Mukhtar Ansari, who died in jail recently.

A bench led by Justice Surya Kanta has listed the matter for further hearing, on April 9, a day ahead of the 'Fatiha' ceremony.

Advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for Abbas apprised the court that the plea was for seeking permission to attend the last rites of his father Mukhtar Ansari, which as of now has become infructuous. Therefore, Advocate Pasha urged the court to amend its petition and sought permission to attend Fatiha.

The top court asked Advocate Pasha to amend the petition and serve a copy of the amended plea to the respondents.

The court directed the Registry to list on April 9 after obtaining appropriate orders from the Chief Justice of India. In the meantime, the court also gave the liberty to the petitioner to mention his plea in the morning of the same day.

Abbas Ansari, who is lodged in Kasganj district jail, could not attend the last rites of his father, Mukhtar Ansari.

Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari was laid to rest at the Kali Bagh burial ground in Ghazipur last Saturday. His mortal remains were buried near the graves of his parents.

Mukhtar Ansari died at a hospital in Banda in Uttar Pradesh on March 28. His family, however, claimed that he was "given poison in the food."

According to the official release from the hospital, Ansari was brought to the hospital around 8:25 pm on Thursday and a team of nine doctors attended to him before he died, the release added.

Meanwhile, a three-member team has been formed to conduct a magisterial investigation into his death.

In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP-MLA court. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 13 this year in a case related to the use of forged documents for obtaining an arms licence in 1990.

(ANI)