Abbas Ansari: Uttar Pradesh MLA Abbas Ansari on Friday requested the Supreme Court to allow him to appear through video conference in a lower court proceeding in a case registered under the Gangster Act, fearing that he might be killed in an encounter. Ansari has been elected MLA from the Mau constituency of the state on a ticket of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Abbas Ansari, son of gangster Mukhtar Ansari, informed the bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotishwar Singh that he (Abbas) was appearing in the court through video conference from Kasganj jail, but this facility has been stopped. Last year, five-time MLA Mukhtar Ansari was admitted to Rani Durgavati Medical College after suffering a heart attack in Banda jail, where he died during treatment.

Sibal said, ‘Please allow me to appear in court proceedings through video-conferencing. Nowadays, many things happen on the way from jail to court. People are murdered while being taken from jail to court.’

The apex court is hearing Abbas' bail plea in a case of allegedly running a gang in the state's Chitrakoot district. The court sought a response from the Uttar Pradesh government on Abbas' plea and told Sibal that no argument related to 'virtual' hearing has been made in his petition.

Judge Suryakant asked Sibal to go to the High Court with the petition. Sibal said that going to the High Court would mean that Abbas would be taken to court while the case was being heard.

The bench in its order directed that if he approaches the High Court with his plea for hearing through video conference, it should be heard immediately. Sibal said that Abbas is accused of running a criminal gang in Chitrakoot, which is located 450 km from Kasganj, where he is currently lodged in jail.

He said, 'This FIR has the same allegations as the case dismissed by the court. I (Abbas) have been in jail for one and a half years in this case. Please grant me bail.'

What did the UP government say?
Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, representing the UP government, said Abbas Ansari had moved the apex court for bail in the case but withdrew the petition after getting the liberty to move the High Court.

He said, 'The High Court rejected his bail plea in the case and now he has again approached the Supreme Court. Please allow me to file a reply on this petition.' The bench has issued a notice and asked the UP government to file a reply within two weeks.

On December 18 last year, the Allahabad High Court had rejected the bail plea of ​​Abbas Ansari in a case in which he and some others were accused of forming a gang for financial and other benefits.

An FIR was lodged at the Kotwali Karvi police station in Chitrakoot district on August 31, 2024 against Ansari, Navneet Sachan, Niaz Ansari, Faraz Khan and Shahbaz Alam Khan under sections 2, 3 of the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986. They were accused of extortion and assault.