Supreme Court Relaxes Bail Condition Of Abbas Ansari; Allows Him To Travel Outside Uttar Pradesh

Today, the Supreme Court, while hearing the plea filed by Uttar Pradesh MLA Abbas Ansari seeking bail, relaxed the bail conditions imposed on Ansari and allowed him to travel outside the State of Uttar Pradesh. 

 The Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi relaxed Ansari's bail condition and said, "The Petitioner is allowed to travel outside the State of UP, provided that he shall furnish the particulars of place of visit to the Trial Court, along with contact number to the Investigating Officer and shall further ensure that the trial proceedings are not hampered or delayed."

At the outset, the Justice Bagchi confirmed whether Ansari was not cooperating with the proceedings at Trial Court and asked, "You are not appearing?"

To which, Advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for Ansari submitted that Ansari did not appeared only when the application for exemption from personal appearance was allowed by the Trial Court and that should not be held against Ansari as a misconduct.

Thereafter, ASG K.M Nataraj, appearing for Union, submitted that two witnesses were examined and the trial is still going on. Nataraj suggested that the matter before the Court may be disposed of as Ansari was already on interim bail.

Justice Kant asked Pasha to make sure that Ansari will be present in Trial Court during the proceedings, unless his personal appearance has been exempted by the Trial Court.

Thereupon, Pasha requested that the condition not to travel beyond Uttar Pradesh be removed.

"What will you do outside Uttar Pradesh?", asked Justice Kant.

Pasha replied that Ansari's Father-in-law was in ICU at Jaipur and Ansari could not visit due to the bail conditions. Upon which, Justice Kant allowed Ansari to approach the Trial Court to seek permission to travel outside Uttar Pradesh.

However, Pasha submitted that since multiple FIRs were pending against Ansari and he might have to take permission from ten Trial Courts in such a case.

Upon which, the Bench relaxed the condition imposed on Ansari to not leave the State of Uttar Pradesh.

"The Petitioner is allowed to travel outside the State of UP, provided that he shall furnish the particulars of place of visit to the Trial Court, along with contact number to the Investigating officer and shall further ensure that the trial proceedings are not hampered or delayed", the Court recorded in the Order.

Further, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, also appearing for Ansari, requested to also relax the condition imposed on Ansari to not to make any public statements.

Justice Kant said, "He can make. Suppose, he wants to make public statements on economic conditions or employment...the condition is not make any public statements in respect of the cases which are currently sub-judice before different Courts."

Sibal continued to urge, however, Justice Kant remarked that it's the question of saving the Courts from social media attack.

"If he does, I am answerable to you... it's my request", Sibal insisted. 

Sibal also requested that the condition of staying at the official accommodation at Lucknow allotted to Ansari may also be relaxed. Pasha informed that due to the size of the family, Ansari wish to take take a rented premise in Lucknow.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court relaxed the said condition as well. However, Ansari has to inform the change in address to the local police

Background

In a related news, the Supreme Court, in January expressed concerns over the Allahabad High Court's delay in addressing a petition filed by Uttar Pradesh MLA Abbas Ansari, alleging non-compliance with the Court’s directive to prioritize his case. The matter pertains to a disputed property where construction activities are ongoing despite the petitioner seeking interim relief.

It is also to be noted that the Allahabad High Court on May 9, 2024, rejected Abbas Ansari’s bail application, stating that the explanation regarding funds did not “reflect credibility, especially from the applicant who is a sitting MLA and an elected representative of the people.” The Bench had considered the ‘family antecedents’ of the sitting MLA, including statements in the ECIR suggesting initial non-cooperation and evasion of summons until apprehended due to a lookout notice. During custody, Ansari claimed that he did not know where the alleged funds were coming from and simply stated that his family would arrange the funds whenever he needed them. 

Earlier, in April 2024, the Apex Court had allowed a plea filed by MLA Abbas Ansari, currently in jail, seeking permission to attend a 'fatiha' or special prayers scheduled for April 10 following the demise of his father, Mukhtar Ansari, the gangster-turned-politician. Mukhtar Ansari passed away due to cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, on March 28. Abbas Ansari, who is in judicial custody in connection with a criminal case, had approached the Apex Court seeking permission to participate in his father's 'fatiha'.

Cause Title: Abbas Ansari v. State of Uttar Pradesh [SLP(Crl) No. 1091/2025; Diary No. 1426/2025]