UP STF arrests driver of Mukhtar Ansari’s ambulance from Lucknow

Barabanki (UP), June 30

The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested the driver of the ambulance which was used to ferry gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari from a Punjab jail to a Mohali court recently, officials said on Wednesday.

Salim, a resident of Ghazipur, was arrested from Lucknow on Tuesday while another accused involved in the ambulance case, Shoaib Mujahid, who hails from Mau district, was apprehended from Barabanki on Wednesday, Superintendent of Police Yamuna Prasad said.

The Barabanki and Ghazipur police had declared cash rewards of Rs 25,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively on the duo, police said.

On March 31, Ansari was produced before the court in Punjab in an extortion case. The documents of the Uttar Pradesh registration number ambulance used to transport the gangster-turned-politician were found to be fake.

During investigation, police found that Alka Rai, the operator of Shyam Sanjeevani Hospital in Mau, and some of her associates had registered the ambulance in the year 2013 on the basis of fake documents and a case was registered at Nagar Kotwali of Barabanki, in which Ansari was made an accused of conspiracy and forgery.

Six accused, including Rai, Sheshnath Rai, Rajnath and Anand Yadav, have been arrested in the case so far, they said.

During interrogation, Salim told the STF that he was associated with Ansari’s gang for the last several years. He is facing several cases in Ghazipur district and action has been taken against him under the Gangsters Act, police said.

Salim also told police that three others—Surendra, Ramesh and Firoz – would ferry Ansari in the ambulance during his imprisonment in Ropar Jail in Punjab and even before that. PTI