The Prayagraj unit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday took custody remand of mafioso-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in connection with a money laundering case lodged against him last year. A local court had issued warrant B against Mukhtar Ansari, who was lodged in Banda jail, in the money laundering case on the application filed by ED officials.
On Wednesday, the 59-year-old was produced before the court on the basis of a production warrant and was subsequently taken into custody by the ED under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), reported PTI.
The ED is carrying out a probe into the money laundering case lodged against Ansari in 2021. It had earlier recorded the politician’s statement in the Banda jail.
Earlier, the ED officials had arrested Mukhtar’s MLA son Abbas Ansari and brother-in-law Atif Raza in connection with the case after receiving information about cash transactions worth several crores of rupees to different bank accounts along with information regarding firms of Ansari and his relatives.
Mukhtar Ansari’s wife Afshan Ansari is also wanted by ED in the money laundering case and the central agency has issued a lookout notice against her.
Mukhtar Ansari is under the ED scanner in connection with at least 49 criminal cases booked against him including those on charges of land grabbing, murder and extortion. He faces trial in Uttar Pradesh in several cases, including attempt to murder and murder.
