Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari hospitalised due to abdominal pain, condition stable

Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari on Tuesday was admitted to the Rani Durgawati Medical College in Uttar Pradesh's Banda after he complained of abdominal pain. As per the hospital, Ansari is currently under treatment and his condition is currently stable.

The gangster-politician, who is also the relative of former Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari, was diagnosed with urinary tract infection (UTI) and admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the medical college, India Today reported citing sources. 

His son Umar Ansari said in a social media post: "My father Mukhtar Ansari Saheb was admitted to the ICU of Banda Medical College just an hour ago. His condition is very serious. Please pray for him."

His lawyer Naseem Haider said that some of Ansari's medical reports are pending but he is facing difficulty in speaking. Security deployment has been beefed up outside the hospital. 

After this, a team of doctors recommended him surgery. Mukhtar Ansari was shifted to the hospital at nearly 1 am on Tuesday. Soon after Mukhtar Ansari' was hospitalised, his brother and Samajwadi Party candidate from Ghazipur Afzal Ansari claimed that a conspiracy is being hatched to murder the gangster-politician. 

"A conspiracy is being hatched to murder Mukhtar Ansari, this conspiracy has been going on for many days. The family has even filed a petition in the court that Mukhtar Ansari should be kept in some other state and the trial should be conducted there. Death is certain but the devil is trying to kill them," Afzal Ansari said. 

Two days back, the jailer and two deputy jailers were suspended for negligence in Ansari's security. Ansari's hospitalisation comes days after he told a Barabanki court that his health deteriorated, alleging that he was served poisoned food inside jail. 

Ansari said in an application filed through his lawyer Randhir Singh Suman: "... on the night of March 19, my food was laced with poison inside the prison, following which my health has deteriorated... I feel like I'm going to choke." 

At the time, a team of doctors performed Ansari's health checkup and conducted some blood tests, as per India Today. Doctors prescribed him some medicines and told the jail authorities that Ansari was facing difficulties due to fasting for the month of Ramzan. 

Afzal Ansari reiterated the gangster's claims, which were rejected by the jail authorities. Jail authorities said that the same food is consumed by all inmates and none of them suffered health issues. Currently, Ansari is lodged in the Banda jail. Mukhtar Ansari was sentenced to life imprisonment in a fake firearms license case.

Ansari was sentenced to life imprisonment under Sections 467 (forgery of valuable security, will) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and seven years under Sections 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) of the IPC. He was also sentenced to 6 months imprisonment under Section 30 of the Arms Act.