The Supreme Court recently sought the response of the Uttar Pradesh government to a bail plea by Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Abbas Ansari in connection with an arms license case. A bench of Justice BR Gavai, Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the State after hearing Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, counsel for MLA Abbas Ansari.
Reportedly, the case against Abbas Ansari involves allegations that he had acquired multiple firearms on a specific license. A FIR was filed against him in October 2019. The FIR alleged that he transferred the license from Lucknow to Delhi without informing the relevant police station. The MLA was alleged to have continued using licences from two different States under distinct identity cards.
Furthermore, the FIR mentioned that after his gun license from Lucknow became invalid in October 2015, Ansari obtained a new license in New Delhi in June 2017 and purchased a total of seven firearms. Taking into consideration the accusations against Ansari, the Allahabad High Court had expressed strong disapproval of the alleged conduct, deeming it entirely unacceptable. The High Court further observed that Ansari had a criminal history and has been involved in eight cases.
The Allahabad High Court in November 2023 refused to grant bail to Ansari in the matter, leading to the instant appeal by him before the Supreme Court. Rejecting the bail plea, the High Court stated that since Abbas Ansari was an MLA, there were chances that he might influence the witnesses.
Justice Subhash Vidyarthi, High Court judge had observed that huge quantities of arms and ammunition were recovered from Ansari’s house in New Delhi. The High Court noted that metal jacketed bullets were also recovered from Ansari’s residence, which was not allowed to be used by a shooter.
Notably, Abbas Ansari is the elder son of convicted and jailed gangster Mukhtar Ansari, who has been a legislator in Uttar Pradesh like his sons. Abbas Ansari’s petition before the Supreme Court was filed through advocate Anjali Jha Manish.