SC seeks response from UP govt on MLA Abbas Ansari's bail plea

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a response from the Uttar Pradesh government on MLA Abbas Ansari's plea seeking bail in a case where he has been accused of threatening various people to extort money while using the mobile phone of his wife who used to visit him in Chitrakoot district jail where he was lodged.

Ansari, an MLA from Mau assembly constituency, has moved the apex court challenging the May 1 order of the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court which had rejected his bail plea in the case.

An FIR was registered in February 2023 alleging that Ansari's wife frequently visited him in prison without complying with formalities and prescribed restrictions.

In its order, the high court had noted it was alleged that Ansari used the mobile phones of his wife and threatened various people for extorting money. It was also alleged that the driver of Ansari's wife was plotting his escape from prison with the help of jail officials.

His plea challenging the high court order came up for hearing on Thursday before a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan.

The apex court sought a response from the state on Ansari's plea and posted it for hearing after two weeks.

Abbas Ansari is the son of gangster-politician and multiple times former MLA Mukhtar Ansari, who died in jail a few months ago.

In its order, the high court had observed that Ansari, being a member of the legislative assembly, holds a responsible position and his conduct has to be of a higher standard.

"A person with the aforesaid backdrop knowing fully well that he was lodged in the jail and his wife had been repeatedly meeting the applicant (Ansari) and from the CCTV footage as well as statements of the witnesses elicited during investigation it prima facie reflects towards the complicity of the applicant," it had said.

"In normal circumstances and even as per the law, the jail authorities do not and could not grant such unrestricted access to any person which has been allegedly extended to the wife of the applicant, obviously at the asking of the applicant," the high court had said.

While rejecting his bail plea, it had said the trial shall be concluded as expeditiously as possible.