“Supreme Court Grants Imprisoned MLA Abbas Ansari Permission to Attend Late Father’s Prayers”

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a request made by imprisoned MLA Abbas Ansari, seeking permission to attend special prayers for his late father Mukhtar Ansari.

Mukhtar Ansari, who was a gangster-turned-politician, passed away on March 28 due to cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda, Uttar Pradesh.

The plea was filed by Nizam Pasha, the lawyer representing MLA Abbas Ansari. When asked about the listing of the plea, Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud confirmed that it had already been granted, adding that the MLA is indeed the son of Mukhtar Ansari.

The top court had previously asked the Uttar Pradesh government to respond to the MLA’s plea, which sought permission to attend ‘fatiha’ or special prayers on April 10, following his father’s death.

On March 30, Mukhtar Ansari, who had been a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar constituency, was laid to rest in Ghazipur.

He had been incarcerated in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005, with over 60 criminal cases against him. He passed away on March 28 at Rani Durgawati Medical College after being brought there from Banda jail when his health deteriorated.