Allahabad HC's Lucknow bench rejects bail plea of MLA Abbas Ansari in money laundering case

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court Thursday rejected the bail plea of Mau MLA Abbas Ansari in connection with a money laundering case.

Passing the order, the bench of Justice Jaspreet Singh took note of the money trail put forward by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the case against Ansari.

"Considering the material available on record including the flow charts which clearly demonstrate the origin of funds and also explains how the funds found their way into the accounts of the accused Ansari... this court finds him not entitled for a bail at this stage," the court said.

The court also mentioned in its order that the money trail links Ansari with the movement of funds to and from the two firms -- M/s Vikas Construction and M/s Aaghaaz. The firms, the ED has alleged, were used by Ansari for money laundering.

The ED had registered a case against Ansari, a Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) MLA, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 on the basis of three previous cases.

Ansari was booked in this case on November 4, 2022. Appearing for Ansari earlier, senior Supreme Court advocate Kapil Sibal had argued that the ED had not been able to link money trail with the firms in question and that Ansari was booked due to ulterior motives.

Refuting Sibal's arguments, the bench observed, "This plea, considering the fact that Ansari is a member of the Legislative Assembly and a national level sportsman yet not knowing how the funds were being given to him including the quantum of the funds given by his relatives to pursue his own sporting and political pursuits, does not inspire confidence."

Ansari is the son of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari who was lodged in Banda jail and died of cardiac arrest earlier this year.

Ansari is currently lodged in Kasganj jail.