The Allahabad High Court granted bail to Umar Ansari, who is the youngest son of slain gangster politician Mukhtar Ansari, in a case of forgery which was lodged under Gangsters Act at Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh.
The bail plea was allowed by Justice Dr. Gautam Chaudhary after protracted arguments by both counsel. Umar who was arrested on August 3 from Lucknow upon suspicion of forging his mother Afsa Ansari’s signature while attempting to retrieve immovable properties confiscated under Gangsters Act was rejected bail by a subordinate court on August 21. The High Court observed the investigation was complete and there was no need to carry out custodial questioning anymore.
The FIR, lodged at Mohammadabad police station, accuses Umar of releasing seized land using forged records. Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest while detained in March 2024 and was charged with various convictions, such as life imprisonment for forgery of arms license. Umar’s brother Abbas is an SBSP MLA who has himself figured in various cases of law, with a recent conviction for hate speech being suspended by the High Court.
Sibgatullah Ansari, Mukhtar’s elder brother, hailed the order as a “victory of justice.”
Founding Editor of The Jamia Times. An alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia, he previously worked with The Quint and Maktoob Media, focusing on hate crimes, marginalised communities, and democratic rights in India. His reporting has documented custodial torture, caste and communal violence, and the everyday struggles of vulnerable groups across Uttar Pradesh and beyond. His work has also appeared in national and international outlets, amplifying grassroots stories to wider audiences.