Mukhtar Ansari convicted in Awadhesh Rai murder case, gets life sentence

A Varanasi court in Uttar Pradesh held gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment in the 32-year-old murder case of Awadhesh Rai.

On August 3, 1991, Congress leader and brother of former MLA Ajay Rai, Awadhesh Rai, was shot dead outside Ajay Rai’s house in Varanasi.

Earlier, the Special Court concluded the hearing after arguments on May 19, reserved its order, and fixed June 5 as the date to deliver it

In this case, Ajay Rai had named Mukhtar Ansari, Bhim Singh and former MLA Abdul Kalim, in the FIR.

“Mukhtar has been convicted in the Awadhesh Rai murder case of 1991. The court will pronounce its judgment later in the day,” a lawyer told reporters in Varanasi.

Reacting to the development, Ajay Rai said, “This is the end of our many years of waiting. 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.