Supreme Court Orders to Finish Investigation and File Report in 10 Days for MLA Abbas Ansari’s Bail Request in Gangster Act Case.
The Supreme Court today reviewed a bail petition from Uttar Pradesh MLA Abbas Ansari in a criminal case linked to the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986. Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh instructed the Investigating Officer (IO) to finish the investigation and provide a status report within 10 days. During the hearing, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Ansari, argued that his client has been in custody for five months without being formally remanded, and no active investigation has taken place. Sibal pointed out that Ansari is in Kasganj jail, which is 450 km from Chitrakoot, and emphasized that despite claims of ongoing custody, no investigation has occurred.
In reply, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) KM Nataraj, representing Uttar Pradesh, stated that four suspects are still missing and that Ansari faces about ten pending cases. Sibal countered that Ansari has already received bail in all those cases. The Bench acknowledged the State’s concerns about public safety and questioned the investigation’s progress. Sibal noted that the FIR claims Ansari was labeled a gangster based on statements from people encountered during the investigation. He explained, “The FIR states they found some individuals who identified him as a gangster.”
Sibal requested the Court to consider granting bail to Ansari before Ramzan, which starts on March 1, but no immediate decision was made. The case will be reassessed after the status report is submitted. Additionally, in January, the Supreme Court raised concerns about the Allahabad High Court’s delay in addressing a petition from Abbas Ansari regarding the Court’s directive to prioritize his case.
The issue involves a property dispute where construction is happening even though the petitioner has asked for temporary relief. Additionally, on May 9, 2024, the Allahabad High Court denied Abbas Ansari’s bail request, noting that his explanation about the funds lacked credibility, especially for someone who is a current MLA and a public representative. The court looked into the MLA’s family background, including claims in the ECIR that he initially did not cooperate and avoided summons until he was caught due to a lookout notice. While in custody, Ansari said he was unaware of the source of the funds and mentioned that his family would provide money when needed.
Earlier, in April 2024, the Supreme Court granted a request from MLA Abbas Ansari, who is in jail, to attend a special prayer called ‘fatiha’ on April 10 for his father, Mukhtar Ansari, a former gangster and politician, who died from a heart attack on March 28 at a hospital in Banda, Uttar Pradesh. Abbas Ansari, held in judicial custody for a criminal case, sought the court’s permission to join the prayer for his father.
Cause Title: Abbas Ansari v. State of Uttar Pradesh [SLP(Crl) No. 1091/2025; Diary No. 1426/2025]
