The Supreme Court granted an interim protection to Umar Ansari, a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) politician and son of jailed Ex-MLA and a gangster turned politician, Mukhtar Ansari related to the alleged violation of model code of conduct during 2022 Assembly elections. Umar was granted protection against arrest on January 25, 2024 in Mau, Uttar Pradesh. This order was passed by a bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and P K Mishra.
The model Code of Violation in Assembly Elections, 2022
An FIR was reported against Abbas Ansari (Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party candidate), Umar Ansari and 150 unknown people at Kotwali Police Station in Mau district, Uttar Pradesh on March 4, 2022.
The FIR report stated that on March 3, 2022, Abbas, Umar and Mansoor Ahmad Ansari (event organizer) called for settling a score with the Mau Administration in a public meeting at the Pahadpura ground. This was considered a violation of the election code of conduct.
Umar applied for anticipatory bail on December 19, 2023, but the Allahabad High Court rejected his bail plea. The jurisdiction of this protection applies to the state of Uttar Pradesh where the case was registered. Later Umar challenged this order in Supreme court and was granted interim protection against arrest until the next hearing which is scheduled for March 28, 2024.
Background and previous controversies
Umar is born into a politically influential family. He has emerged as the rising star of BSP through his victory in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from the Mau constituency.
Prior to the 2022 election, Umar was accused of threatening officials and disrupting rallies of opponent parties. He was also alleged in a case for assaulting a government official in 2019. He is alleged to have an ongoing illegal land occupation case which involves charges related to occupying government land and a railways quarter complex.
Conclusion
Hence SC’s interim order has temporarily shielded Umar Ansari from arrest while his anticipatory bail application makes its way through the legal process. The model code of conduct violation case and other pending controversies will continue to unfold in the courts. However, the courts have not passed any verdict on his guilt or innocence in the present matter. Going forward, the outcome of his bail hearing and the final judicial rulings on the various allegations will determine the future course of his political career.
