Former legislator of Uttar Pradesh Mukhtar Ansari, who rose to prominence by being a gangster, has been awarded with a 10-year prison sentence in a murder case. The verdict was pronounced on Thursday and along with Ansari, his associate Bhim Singh will also serve the same period of incarceration. 

A Ghaziapur district court designated to hear the cases of MPs and MLAs in Uttar Pradesh passed the judgment and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on each convict. Ansari was a notoric gangster and he was accused of murdering Awadhesh, the brother of Congress leader Ajay Rai. Ansari's associate Bhim Singh was also connected with the case and the incident happened in August 1991.

Additional District Government Counsel Neeraj Kumar has confirmed the 10-year prison sentence to Ansari and Bhim Singh. Speaking about the case, Neeraj Kumar said that at around 1 am on August 3, 1991, Congress leader Ajay Rai and his brother Awadhesh were standing outside their house in Varanasi when some assailants including Ansari came and shot and killed Awadhesh. 

To counter the attack, Ajay Rai fired from his licensed pistol and the attackers had left behind the car and fled the spot. Ajay Rai then taken his injured brother to a hospital where the doctors declared him dead. Following the murder, a case was registered against Ansari and Bhim Singh at Ghazipur police station. Ansari was a five-time MLA of Uttar Pradesh and is facing over four dozen criminal cases. 

Ansari was elected to the assembly from the Mau constituency and while he got elected to the assembly two times in the Bahujan Samaj Party's ticket, he won the rest of terms as the candidate of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party. According to reports, the current sentence is the highest punishment awarded to Ansari in his grim career as a gangster. He has been currently lodged in Banda jail in Uttar Pradesh and serving prison for his earlier convictions and now he will serve ten more years.

Hailing from the family that produced freedom fighters, Ansari would always boast about his family background and would take advantage of it whenever he got convicted in a case. Ansari is facing 54 criminal cases against him and Additional District Government Counsel Neeraj Kumar said that this time the court refused to consider any points that gave advantage to Ansari. 

The hearing of the current case was held in Prayagraj initially and it was then transferred to the Ghaziapur special court. The hearing of the case was over on December 12 after which the court had reserved its verdict. On Thursday, special court judge Justice Durgesh Pandey delivered the verdict of awarding 10-year prison for Ansari and Bhim Singh.