Share photos of witnesses, Mukhtar Ansari tells lawyer during murder case hearing

A police case was filed against gangster Mukhtar Ansari on Thursday for threatening a witness during the virtual hearing of a murder case.

Ansari was recorded seeking photos of the witnesses of the case from his lawyer in order to intimidate and threaten them. Mukhtar Ansari was being tried for the 2014 murder of a laborer from Bihar in the MP-MLA court of Azamgarh.

On February 6, 2014, Ram Iqbal, a labourer, was shot dead in Aira Kala village of Bihar’s Tarwan.

Mukhtar Ansari, along with 10 others, was charged in the case. Ansari also faced additional allegations of conspiracy, leading to the registration of a case under the Gangster Act.

During his appearance in the case via video conferencing, Ansari asked his lawyer for the photos of the witnesses in the case, with the intention of intimidating and threatening them.

One of the witnesses in the case reported being threatened.

Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya lodged a complaint against Ansari under Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code on Thursday. This is not the first time Ansari has faced such charges. He is already standing trial in two other cases.

Speaking about the incident, Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya said, “Mafia Mukhtar Ansari, the leader of the notorious IS 191 gang, attempted to intimidate a witness in an ongoing court case. An FIR has been filed based on this information, and a thorough investigation is underway.”

“We have also taken necessary measures to ensure the complete safety of the witnesses. To facilitate effective prosecution and expedite justice in pending cases against this mafia leader, we have constituted a dedicated special cell,” he added.