Renowned Indian politician Mukhtar Ansari died in jail after he suffered from a heart attack in Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Banda district leading to speculation after poisoning.

The Indian government has heightened the level of security in multiple cities fearing mass protests over Ansari’s death.

Doctors were called to the jail to check on Ansari after his condition suddenly deteriorated after iftari.

Ansari was rushed to Rani Durgavati Medical College in an unconscious state at around 8:25 p.m. However, he died during the treatment in the hospital.

A probe has been ordered to investigate the death Ansari after his family alleged foul play. 

On March 26, Ansari complained that he was suffering from abdominal pain. He was hospitalized for around 14 hours and was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI). 

He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a hospital and was advised surgery by the doctors.  

Ansari’s son, Umar Ansari, spoke with reporters, stating that his father was poisoned through the food given to him.

Few days earlier, Barabanki Court was informed by Ansari that he was provided food that contained poison. 

The police officials have been assigned to the Mau, Gazipur, and Banda areas due to security reasons, imposing the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in these districts. 

UP Director General of Police, Prashant Kumar, issued orders under Section 144 of the CrPC to prohibit large gatherings across UP following Ansari’s death.

“There is a special deployment of police personnel in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur, and Varanasi districts,” he said. 

The Samajwadi Party (SP) expressed condolences over the former MLA’s death. 

“The apprehensions and serious allegations made by Mukhtar Ansari’s family regarding his death in jail require a high-level investigation so that the facts of his death can come to light. In such a situation, it is natural for his family to be sad,” BSP supremo Mayawati wrote in an X post.

Indian politician Tejashwi Yadav stated that Ansari’s complaint was not taken seriously and that constitutional bodies should address these kinds of cases.

Congress leader Surendra Rajput questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP)-based UP government on Ansari’s death and demanded a thorough investigation into his death. 

Mukhtar Ansari was a former five-time MLA from the Mau Sadar seat. He has been jailed in UP and Punjab since 2005 as he had around 60 pending criminal cases against him.

He served his jail time in Punjab for two years and was later escorted to Banda jail in April 2021. Since September 2022, he has been sentenced in eight cases by different courts in UP. In 2023, Ansari was listed among 66 gangsters issued by the UP police.