Mukhtar Ansari gets life imprisonment: What is Awadhesh Rai murder case?

The gangster-turned-politician has been convicted for several crimes and is already serving a 10-year sentence for a kidnapping and murder case

Mukhtar Ansari, a gangster who later became a politician, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in the murder of Awadhesh Rai in 1991 by a court in Varanasi.

Awadhesh Rai was the older brother of Congress leader Ajay Rai. Awadhesh Rai was shot and killed at the age of 30 outside his home in Maldiya, Varanasi.

The case

The incident is known as the Awadhesh Rai murder case. It took place on August 3, 1991. According to the prosecution, Awadhesh was standing outside his house in the Maldiya area of Varanasi when a group of attackers arrived in a car and shot him. Ajay Rai and his associate Vijay Pandey were present at the scene and rushed Awadhesh to the hospital, but unfortunately, he was declared dead upon arrival.

Ajay Rai, who witnessed the shooting, filed a complaint with the police at the Chetganj police station. The complaint named five individuals: Mukhtar Ansari, Abdul Kalam, Bheem Singh, Kamlesh Singh, and Rakesh Kumar Srivastava. Ajay Rai specifically accused Mukhtar Ansari and his associates of shooting his brother.

Ajay Rai is known for his influence in the local area and had previously been associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He contested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Congress candidate from Varanasi in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 and 2019.

The prosecution and conviction of Mukhtar Ansari

Alok Chandra, the former government counsel who handled the case, stated that the murder was the result of a local dispute for dominance or control.

After a few months, the investigation of the case was transferred to the Crime Branch (CID) of the Uttar Pradesh Police. It is worth noting that Kamlesh Singh and Abdul Kalam have since passed away, while the case against Bheem Singh and Rakesh Srivastava is still ongoing.

Following the verdict on Monday, Ajay Rai told PTI, "This brings an end to our long wait. Throughout the years, my parents, myself, Awadhesh's daughter, and our entire family remained patient. We witnessed different governments come and go while Mukhtar Ansari grew stronger. However, we never gave up. Thanks to the efforts of our lawyers, today the court has found Mukhtar guilty in the murder of my brother."