Mukhtar Ansari's bail plea rejected

Ghazipur, Mar 31 (UNI) The court today rejected the bail petition of controversial Independent Uttar Pradesh MLA from Mau Mukhtar Ansari in the assassination case of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai.

Officiating district and sessions judge B K Srivastava rejected the bail plea filed by the don-turned-MLA's lawyer on March 29.

On March 28, Ghazipur Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Pramod Kumar had also rejected Ansari's bail plea. The CJM had observed he was accused of a heinous crime and could not released on bail.

Meanwhile, Mukhtar, his elder brother and Samajwadi Party MP Afzal Ansari and brother-in-law Ejaz today failed to appear before the CJM.

The Ghazipur jail superintendent informed the court of their indisposition in this regard.

The court extended the judicial custody of Afzal and Ejaz by five days and ordered for their presence in court on April 5.

On the other hand, the judicial custody of Mukhtar was extended by 14 days. He would be produced before the CJM on April 13.

Taking serious note of the simultaneous and continues absence of the trio in case hearing, the CJM issued show cause notices to the jail superintendent and doctor. They have been directed to appear before the court on April 5.

The CJM has sought an explation on the nature of the illness of the three accused.

Rai, MLA from Mohammadabad assembly constituency in Ghazipur district, and his seven supporters were shot dead in broad daylight in Ghazipur on November 29 last year.

They were ambushed near the Ballia-Ghazipur border by several motorcycle-borne miscreants armed with sophisticated weapons.

Later, an FIR was lodged against 10 persons including Mukhtar, Afzal and notorious east UP gangster Munna Bajrangi in connection with the killing.

Afzal surrendered in the court on December 8 last. Both the Ansari brothers and Ejaz are lodged in Ghazipur jail.

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