The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday set aside the conviction of Abbas Ansari, former MLA from Mau Sadar, in a 2022 case related to an allegedly inflammatory speech made during the Uttar Pradesh assembly election campaign.
Lower Court Verdict Quashed
Justice Samir Jain quashed the verdict of a special MP/MLA court in Mau, which had, in May 2023, sentenced Ansari to two years of rigorous imprisonment. The lower court had held him guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 153-A (promoting enmity between groups), 189 (threatening a public servant), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 171F (undue influence in elections). Ansari was also fined Rs 2,000.
Ansari, a leader of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party and son of jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, had initially challenged the conviction before an appellate court, which dismissed his plea on July 5. He then moved the Allahabad High Court, which granted him relief by nullifying the conviction.
Campaign Speech Sparked Legal Action
The case stemmed from a controversial speech delivered during the 2022 election campaign, in which Ansari allegedly warned government officials of repercussions if the Samajwadi Party, then an ally of his party, came to power.
“I have told Akhilesh bhaiya (former CM Akhilesh Yadav) that after formation of the government, there will be no transfer or postings of bureaucrats for six months. First there will be hisab-kitab (scores to be settled), only then will transfer take place,” Ansari had reportedly said.
Despite the controversy, Abbas Ansari went on to win the Mau seat with a commanding margin of over 38,000 votes.
