The Chief Judicial Magistrate (MP-MLA) court in Mau district on Saturday sentenced Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) MLA Abbas Ansari — son of the late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari — to two years’ imprisonment in connection with a 2022 hate speech case.
In addition, his close aide Mansoor Ansari was awarded six months’ imprisonment for his involvement.
The case pertains to a provocative speech made by Abbas Ansari against the Mau district administration during a public rally while the Model Code of Conduct was in effect. The speech reportedly called for settling scores with the administration.
Earlier, the Allahabad High Court had rejected his anticipatory bail plea on December 19, 2023, stating that “looking at the facts and circumstances of the case, the offence was made out.” Ansari had later approached the Supreme Court against this order.
The FIR was lodged in March 2022 at the Kotwali police station in Mau district. It named Abbas Ansari, Umar Ansari, and Mansoor Ahmad Ansari as accused of the incident that occurred on March 3, 2022, during a public meeting at Pahadpura ground, where inflammatory statements were made.
Abbas Ansari contested and won the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from the Sadar seat in Mau as a candidate of the SBSP, which was then in alliance with the Samajwadi Party.
Under the Representation of the People Act, any sentence of two years or more may lead to the disqualification of the elected representative from holding public office, pending appeal.