SC grants bail to MLA Abbas Ansari in money laundering case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to MLA Abbas Ansari in connection with a money laundering case registered with the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The MLA is the son of gangster-politician and former MLA Mukhtar Ansari, who died in jail a few months ago.

A bench of justices M.M. Sundresh and Pankaj Mithal granted the relief to Ansari. On 14 August, the apex court had issued notice to the ED and sought its reply on the appeal filed by Ansari challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court, which rejected his bail application.

Another bench of the top court had granted bail to Ansari in a separate case registered against him for allegedly using his wife's cell phone during her jail visit to threaten witnesses and officials who were connected to the prosecution against him.

A bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan had said the investigation had culminated in a chargesheet.

"Having regard to the fact that the investigation is complete, chargesheet has already been filed and the petitioner has been in custody for more than 1.5 years in the instant case. Keeping in view the fact that the conclusion of trial will take some reasonable time, however, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, the petitioner is directed to be released on bail subject to his furnishing bail bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court," the bench said.

Ansari was lodged in Chitrakoot District Jail when his wife along with the driver and co-accused Niyaz visited him, and he allegedly used a cellphone to threaten witnesses and extort money.

In the ED case, the high court had dismissed Ansari's bail plea on 9 May. The agency had registered a case against Ansari, a Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party MLA, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002, on the basis of three previous cases. Ansari was booked in this case on 4 November 2022. The Mau MLA is currently lodged in Kasganj Jail.