Umar Ansari, the younger son of late Mukhtar Ansari, was transferred from Ghazipur jail to Kasganj jail Saturday morning.
The transfer was carried out under strict secrecy, with only senior officials aware of the move.
Superintendent of Police Dr. Iraj Raja confirmed the relocation, citing “security concerns” as the primary reason.
Umar Ansari had been lodged in Ghazipur jail since his arrest on August 3 in connection with a case involving forged signatures. He was picked up by police from Lucknow for allegedly forging the signature of his mother, Afsa (Afshan) Ansari, who is currently absconding and carries a reward of Rs 1 lakh on her arrest. She is wanted in a case related to the Gangster Act filed against Mukhtar Ansari.
According to the police, Umar submitted a petition in court with forged documents in an attempt to release property worth Rs 10 crore that had been seized under the Gangster Act. The petition was filed in the name of Afsa Ansari to recover the seized assets.
During scrutiny of the documents on July 11, 2025, the government advocate found the signatures attached to the petition suspicious. A comparison with documents from “M/s Vikas Construction,” where Afsa is a partner, revealed major discrepancies in the signatures.
Given that Afsa Ansari is a declared fugitive with rewards of Rs 50,000 each from Ghazipur and Mau police and is also under a lookout notice, the court found it implausible that she would have personally submitted a petition.
Following this, a case was filed against Umar Ansari and lawyer Liaqat Ali at Muhammadabad police station. Umar was arrested on August 3 and sent to Ghazipur jail. Bail pleas filed separately by Umar and his lawyer were both rejected on August 21 and 22, respectively.
Meanwhile, just two days before Umar’s transfer, his elder brother and MLA Abbas Ansari saw a major legal relief. On August 21, Justice Sameer Jain of the Allahabad High Court stayed the two-year sentence handed to Abbas by an MP/MLA court in Mau in a hate speech case, thereby restoring his MLA status.
The case dates back to a 2022 election rally, where Abbas had said that no official transfers would take place for six months after a Samajwadi Party government was formed, implying retaliation against officers. An FIR was lodged, and he was sentenced on May 31, 2025.
Interestingly, Abbas Ansari had also been lodged in Kasganj jail, where he spent nearly 2 years and 8 months. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in November 2022 for allegedly being part of a criminal network and for money laundering.
He was granted bail by the Supreme Court on March 7, 2025, and released from jail on March 21 after the release order reached Kasganj jail authorities.