Story highlights
With his electoral success he was thrown into the crosshairs of his adversaries, particularly Mukhtar Ansari’s gang. Rai’s life On November 29, 2005, tragically ended when Mukhtar Ansari’s gang, ambushed his convoy near Basaniya Chatti.
Jailed Indian gangster and politician Mukhtar Ansari, who faced numerous criminal charges, including those related to murder and extortion, died on Thursday (Mar 28) due to cardiac arrest. Ansari has been in and out of custody for several cases over the years and his political career and criminal background made him a controversial figure in Indian politics.
Ansari, in April 2023, received a 10-year prison sentence for the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Krishnanand Rai and was lodged at Banda district jail.
Who was BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai?
BJP leader Krishnanand Rai served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
As per reports, Rai’s political prowess came to the spotlight in the 2002 UP assembly elections, where he secured victory on the BJP ticket from the Mohammadabad seat in the state.
He was MLA from 2002 to 2005. Notably, he contested from the same assembly seat in 1999 but he failed to sway the voters at that time.
His victory from the seat in 2002 did not go down well with Mukhtar Ansari and his elder brother and BSP leader Afzal Ansari in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
With the results in Rai’s favour, the dominance of the Ansari brothers in the region was challenged.
With his electoral success, he was thrown into the crosshairs of his adversaries, particularly Mukhtar Ansari’s gang. Rai’s life On November 29, 2005, tragically ended when Mukhtar Ansari’s gang, ambushed his convoy near Basaniya Chatti.
In a hail of gunfire of about 500 rounds, Rai and six others were killed. The incident sent a shockwave in the entire region. The aftermath of Rai’s assassination triggered widespread outrage and demands for justice.
Former Chief Minister and now Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led protests in Varanasi.
Mukhtar Ansari and his brother were eventually acquitted by the CBI court in 2019.
Watch | Gravitas: India’s FM Nirmala Sitharaman decides against fighting polls, says ‘Don’t have money’
“We were implicated by Rai’s family and supporters out of political rivalry and through a well-planned conspiracy. A Bollywood-type plot was hatched against us. This was the only case ever lodged against me in my 40-year-old political career and was a blot on me. Mukhtar and I are relieved to have been acquitted along with our other relatives,” Afzal Ansari reportedly said at the time.
However, Mukhtar Ansari in 2023 was found guilty of Rai’s murder by an MP/MLA court. On March 13, 2024, he was handed a life sentence for his involvement in a counterfeit arms license case.
(With inputs from agencies)