Supreme Court Revisits Order in UP MLA Abbas Ansari Case, Inquires About Pending Investigations Against Him

New Delhi, Feb 21: The Supreme Court has retracted its previous directive for police to wrap up their investigation into MLA Abbas Ansari within ten days under the Gangsters Act. The court is now inquiring if any investigations against him are still open.
A bench consisting of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh has scheduled the next hearing for March 6, following claims by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who is representing Ansari. He asserted that the investigation has concluded and that a chargesheet has already been filed concerning the case linked to the UP Gangsters Act.
Sibal contended that the state submitted an inaccurate affidavit and stated that there are no outstanding matters involving Ansari.
Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, indicated the need for further clarification on this issue.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had instructed the UP Police to finalize the inquiry into Ansari’s case within a ten-day window, stating that they would consider Ansari’s bail application after the investigation concludes.
On January 31, citing fears of a potential encounter, Ansari opted to attend trial court proceedings virtually for his case related to the Gangsters Act.
In a ruling on December 18 last year, the Allahabad High Court denied Ansari’s bail plea, where he and several others are charged with forming a gang for monetary and other illicit gains.
An FIR was filed on August 31, 2024, at the Kotwali Karvi Police Station in Chitrakoot district, charging Ansari along with Navneet Sachan, Niyaz Ansari, Faraz Khan, and Shahbaz Alam Khan under Sections 2 and 3 of the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, for accusations of extortion and assault.
Ansari serves as an MLA from the Mau constituency under the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party. In rejecting the bail application, the high court noted that the investigation is still active.
He was apprehended in this case on September 6, 2024. (PTI)