The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to Uttar Pradesh MLA Abbas Ansari, son of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in connection with a case under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters Act related to extortion and assault. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh emphasized that the relief was interim in nature, and the police must submit a status report on Ansari’s conduct during the bail period. The Court noted the prosecution’s concern that Ansari might misuse his bail and threaten witnesses who are yet to be examined, especially as some co-accused remain absconding. However, considering arguments from both sides and to evaluate Ansari’s conduct while on bail, the Court decided to grant him interim relief.
As part of the bail conditions, Ansari must stay at his official accommodation in Lucknow and can only visit his constituency with prior approval from the investigating agency. He is prohibited from leaving Uttar Pradesh without permission from the trial court and must refrain from making public statements regarding the ongoing cases. However, his right to defend himself in court remains unaffected, and he must appear before the trial court whenever required.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Ansari along with Advocates Nizamuddin Pasha and Aparajita Jamwal, contended that the current case was based on similar charges as a prior FIR. Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, opposing the bail, argued that Ansari’s past conduct was questionable and that he could influence and threaten witnesses, some of whom are yet to be examined. Despite these objections, Justice Kant remarked that criminal jurisprudence is relief-oriented and questioned how long Ansari could remain in jail.
The case against Ansari and four others was registered in August 2024, leading to his custody in September 2024. His bail plea had been previously rejected by the Allahabad High Court in December last year. In October 2024, he had secured bail in a money laundering case from a bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Pankaj Mithal. Additionally, Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan had granted him bail in a separate case concerning unauthorized visits by his wife while he was in jail. However, the same bench had refused to grant him anticipatory bail in the present case, which Ansari argued was filed to frustrate his earlier bail reliefs.
