Supreme Court Refuses To Go Into Cause Of Death Of Mukhtar Ansari, Closes Plea By Son Umar Ansari
The Court said that in light of the death of detainee Mukhtar Ansari, there was no reason to go into the matter any further.
The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea filed by Umar Ansari, son of gangster-turned-politician from UP, Mukhtar Ansari, which was filed seeking protection for his late father and transfer to a prison outside the State.
After the death of Mukhtar Ansari, the Petitioner had filed an application and sought an inquiry into the cause of death.
A Bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Rajesh Bindal observed, “Inasmuch as the detainee is no more… we find no reason to keep this matter pending any longer."
The Court observed that the Petitioner may approach the High Court if he wants any further relief.
Advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for Ansar, submitted that they had earlier filed an application seeking protection for his father, late Mukhtar Ansari, apprehending a threat to his life, and that he had just received a 530-page report last evening in connection with his death.
Ansari submitted, “When I filed an application for his protection, saying I apprehend he will be killed... and then he is killed... it can’t be said that the matter is infructuous."
The Court observed that it had entertained the Writ Petition in the first place only because the Petitioner had sought transfer to another state.
The Writ Petition under Article 32 of the Constitution was filed in 2023 by Umar Ansari, raising concerns about an "imminent and serious threat" to his father, who was then lodged in Banda Jail, Uttar Pradesh. After subsequent developments, Ansari had amended the prayers in the petition.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal had earlier appeared for Ansari and had urged the Court to ensure transparency and pointed to discrepancies between the State’s version of a heart attack and the family’s suspicion of custodial violence.
Appearing for the State of Uttar Pradesh, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) KM Natraj, had submitted, "There is no difficulty as such in filing the report," and added that the initial relief sought — the transfer of Mukhtar Ansari to another jail — was rendered moot by his death.
The Court, in its order, had directed the State to provide the medical, judicial, and magisterial inquiry reports referenced in its counter-affidavit to the petitioner. It further granted liberty to the petitioner to file a response within three weeks of receiving the same.
The Court had issued notice in Ansari's petition on July 15, 2024, observing, "According to the Senior Counsel, the death was not a death simpliciter but was the result of some specific action taken by the jail authorities."
Cause Title: Umar Ansari v. State of Uttar Pradesh (W.P. (Crl) No. 629 of 2025)
