SC seeks govt reply on MLA Ansari’s plea against HC order rejecting bail

The bench issued notice to the state seeking its response on Ansari’s plea and posted it for hearing after four weeks.

An FIR was lodged against the MLA from Mau constituency on October 12, 2019, for alleged irregularities while obtaining arms licence and buying guns.

“Although the applicant’s (Ansari) licence issued initially at Lucknow had become invalidated on October 1, 2015, on the strength of the same license he got a licence issued at New Delhi on June 1, 2017 and he purchased as many as 7 firearms,” the high court had noted in its order. Ansari had obtained a gun licence from Lucknow in 2012.

The HC had noted Ansari got endorsed a revolver which was not permissible for a shooter and he was having 4,431 cartridges in his possession, many of which were metal jacketed and were not permitted to be used by a shooter. Ansari is said to be a competitive shooter and has won medals in shooting championships.