In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari faced a significant development in his legal battle as he was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP MLA court.
Reacting to this verdict, the family of the late Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Krishnanand Rai, expressed their sentiments, viewing Ansari’s demise as a form of divine justice. Alka Rai, Krishnanand Rai’s spouse, conveyed, “What can I say? This is the blessing of the Almighty. I used to pray to him for justice and the justice has been served today. We never celebrated Holi after the incident (the murder), I felt that today is Holi for us.” Piyush Rai, Krishnanand Rai’s son, shared similar sentiments, stating, “My mother and I have received the blessings of Baba Vishwanath and Baba Gorakhnath.”
The incident in question dates back to November 29, 2005, when Krishnanand Rai was returning home after inaugurating a cricket tournament in Siyadi area. His convoy fell under attack at a narrow bridge in Ussarchati locality, Bhawarkol area of Ghazipur. Armed assailants, wielding AK-47 assault rifles, ambushed the vehicles, resulting in a barrage of bullets that claimed Rai’s life and that of six of his aides. The intensity of the attack was evident from the recovery of approximately 400 bullet shells from the site, with 21 bullets alone found lodged in Rai’s body.
The FIR implicated Ansari and his brother Afzal Ansari, who had previously contested against Rai in the Mohammadabad seat, as the main conspirators behind the attack. It was revealed that the roots of animosity between Rai and the Ansari brothers stemmed from their rivalry since the 2002 Mohammadabad assembly contest, wherein Afzal Ansari had remained undefeated since 1982.
Additionally, Prem Prakash Singh, alias Munna Bajrangi, a close associate of the Ansari brothers, was also allegedly involved in the heinous crime. Bajrangi met his demise when another gangster, Sunil Rathi, fatally shot him inside Baghpat district jail on July 9, 2018.
Hailing from Mau, Mukhtar Ansari wielded considerable influence not only in his hometown but also in the adjoining Ghazipur and Varanasi districts.