Uttar Pradesh Police Still Hunt for Wives of Slain Mafia Dons
The Uttar Pradesh Police have registered a fresh criminal case against Afsha Ansari, wife of late mafia lord-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who died in Banda jail in March 2024. She has been 'absconding' since then, according to police.
Afsha is not alone. The wives of two other notorious mafia figures from the state are also wanted by the UP Police. Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in April 2023 while in police custody, an incident broadcast live on television. Their wives Shaista Parveen and Zainab Fatima, along with the brothers' elder sister Ayesha Noori, have been evading authorities since then.
All four women, aged between 50 and 60, remain missing despite police announcing cash rewards for information leading to their arrest: Rs 50,000 each for Shaista and Afsha, and Rs 25,000 each for Zainab and Ayesha. They are accused of playing conspiratorial roles in crimes committed by their late husbands. Police say efforts to track them down, including pressuring them to surrender, are ongoing.
The latest case against Afsha involves a revolver obtained under an arms licence issued in her name. She faces five other cases, including one under the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. Ghazipur Superintendent of Police Iraj Raja stated that her properties have been attached under the Act.
Shaista, Zainab, and Noori are wanted for alleged roles in a murder conspiracy. Shaista and Zainab were based in Prayagraj when they disappeared, while Ayesha was living in Meerut. Afsha is a native of Ghazipur district. The Ghazipur SP said, 'Afsha remains a wanted fugitive and police teams are conducting raids to trace her.'
Sources in the UP Police indicated that after receiving intelligence suggesting Afsha might attempt to flee the country, they approached central agencies, including the CBI and Immigration Department, to issue lookout notices against her.
The latest case against Afsha was filed following a police verification of firearms issued to Ansari, his family, and close associates, based on purchase and sale records. The inquiry found that an arms licence in her name was used to purchase a revolver, which was later sold, and another firearm acquired. However, records documenting the purchase and sale of the revolver were missing from the Ghazipur District Magistrate's office archives, with police suspecting collusion by staff. The revolver remains untraced, and police believe the papers were deliberately concealed to facilitate its use by the Ansari gang.
The FIR also names Brij Narayan Ram and Bhishm Singh Yadav, record assistants in the DM office. Ram is deceased. Provisions of the Arms Act have been invoked.
Atiq Ahmed's wife, sister, and sister-in-law are wanted in connection with the February 2023 killing of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police security personnel in Prayagraj. The attack occurred in broad daylight, with gunmen firing and hurling crude bombs. The Prayagraj Police have also registered cases against the three for failing to appear despite being declared proclaimed offenders.
Ayesha's husband, Dr. Akhlaq Ahmed, a doctor at a Community Health Centre in Meerut, is under arrest in the same case, charged with sheltering one of the accused, Guddu Muslim, who remains missing. Atiq's two sons, Ali Ahmed and Mohammad Umar, are also in prison.
