Lucknow, 3 April: Two Uttar Pradesh police constables have been charged for allegedly posting remarks on social media in support of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who died last week, officials said on Wednesday. Ansari, a five-time MLA, died last week at Rani Durgawati Medical College after being transferred there from Banda prison as his health deteriorated. He was put to rest at Ghazipur under heavy security.
A day after Ansari’s funeral, police constable Faiyaz Khan, who works at a Lucknow police station, reportedly posted comments in support of the gangster-politician on his WhatsApp status and raised questions about his death.
According to officials, once the WhatsApp status went public, local authorities withdrew the policeman from his current position and assigned him to the police lines.
As the model code of conduct is in effect, authorisation from the Election Commission has been requested for his suspension, according to a senior officer. Constable Aftab Alam of Chandauli published a Facebook message in support of Ansari, referring to him as a messiah.
Anil Kumar Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police in Chandauli, stated that the constable violated the Uttar Pradesh Police’s social media policy as well as the state government’s conduct standards. He has been suspended, and departmental action has been launched against him, according to the officer.
Ansari has been imprisoned in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005, with over 60 criminal cases against him. The post-mortem revealed that he died from cardiac arrest. However, a magisterial probe was established when opposition parties raised suspicions about Ansari’s death.
