Mukhtar Ansari withdraws from HC,will move sessions court

Jailed legislator Mukhtar Ansari,accused in the murder case of BJP legislator Krishnanand Rai,withdrew his petition seeking permission to file nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections on Wednesday.

A Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court,comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Arun Tandon,dismissed the petition on the request of Ansari’s counsel Gopal Chaturvedi. During arguments,the court had asked the counsel his reason for moving High Court when the option is open for him to seek relief from the district court. After court’s query,the counsel said that he wanted to withdraw the petition. “We will go to the sessions court with the application,” said Chaturvedi. Mukhtar Ansari,who is lodged in the Ghazipur district jail,is the BSP candidate for the Varanasi constituency.