UP jail official fails to appear in MCOCA case against Ansari

A senior Uttar Pradesh jail official today failed to appear before a Delhi court to explain the failure of authorities in producing Independent MLA Mukhtar Ansari before it in connection with a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) case.

Additional sessions judge Madhu Jain, who sought presence of DIG (Jails) in person, posted the matter for December 5 after the court was informed that the official was on leave on medical grounds.

The court had on November 23 taken a serious view of the failure of the Uttar Pradesh prison authorities to produce Ansari, MLA from Mau, who is in Ghazipur jail in connection with the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005, before it.

Ansari, who had unsuccessfully contested the last Lok Sabha elections on a BSP ticket from Varanasi seat, was not produced in the court despite production warrant by the jail authorities, which claimed that he was suffering from gastro-enteritis.

The court had then expressed its displeasure over the failure of authorities to produce proper medical records from the district hospital regarding the treatment being provided to the accused legislator.

Delhi police invoked the MCOCA against inter-state gangster Munna Bajrangi and Ansari for running an organised crime syndicate here.