In a momentous turn of events, the post-mortem analysis of the deceased criminal-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who passed away last month, has dismissed the presence of venom while ascribing his demise to a cardiac arrest, according to informed sources.
This revelation comes as a substantial reprieve for the authorities at Banda penitentiary amidst allegations from Ansari’s kin that foul play was involved in his death while he was serving his sentence.
Ansari, who was incarcerated at Banda penitentiary, breathed his last on the evening of March 28 at Rani Durgawati Medical College. While his relatives accused the jail administration of poisoning him to death, the Uttar Pradesh government initiated a judicial inquiry into these claims. Although an initial report affirmed the cause of death as a cardiac arrest, Ansari’s viscera was dispatched to Lucknow for further scrutiny.
An official source disclosed that the post-mortem report has negated the presence of any poisonous substances, attributing the death to a cardiac arrest. This detailed report has now been furnished to the judicial investigative team.
Of notable mention is Mukhtar Ansari’s declaration to the Mau MP MLA court via his legal representative on March 20, where he asserted that on March 19, he was poisoned through his sustenance within the confines of Banda penitentiary. He added that two prior attempts had been made on his life.
Subsequently, on March 26, when Mukhtar Ansari’s condition precipitously deteriorated, his brother Afzal Ansari, upon visiting him, also implicated the jail administration in his poisoning. Following Mukhtar Ansari’s demise, his son Omar Ansari, who arrived to claim the body, also voiced suspicions of foul play.