The authorities have initiated an inquiry into the arms licenses connected with individuals connected to the Mukhtar Ansari gang (IS-191) in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. Four distinct FIRs have been filed regarding this matter as the inquiry progresses constantly. Samajwadi Party MP and Mukhtar Ansari’s elder brother Afzal Ansari, Mukhtar Ansari’s fugitive wife Afshan Ansari, gang associate Mohammad Shahid, and several government officials who were in service at the time are named among the accused.
145 weapons were bought and sold against 51 arms licenses granted to active members and allies of the IS-191 gang, along with Mukhtar Ansari’s relatives. A thorough physical verification of all these firearms and licenses is currently underway. Police teams have reviewed records from various districts in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh to facilitate this process.
During the course of the probe, it was found that in many cases the original files for arms licenses and documents related to the buying and selling of weapons were missing from the archives. There were no records available regarding the current status of some weapons, which made their verification infeasible. The police highlighted that a criminal conspiracy is responsible for the irregularities in the records and the disappearance of documents, which was intended to hide the utilisation of these weapons.
Two separate FIRs have been filed against MP Afzal Ansari. The first FIR charged that documents concerning a rifle issued in his name have gone missing and their current status is unknown. The second case was registered within a mere six days and contended that the original file and the purchase-sale records related to his arms license (No. 1241/P-11) have been made to vanish.
An examination has uncovered that a Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) rifle (No. 86 AB 1926) and a .32 bore revolver (No. A-12741) were acquired decades ago under this license from Along town in the Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Nevertheless, these weapons along with their related documents remain untraceable. The police disclosed that this was carried out through a conspiracy and collusion with the arms clerks who were employed at that time.
An FIR has also been lodged against Afshan Ansari. The police informed that no documentation could be found regarding the revolver that was previously bought under her license. Furthermore, the original paperwork of the acquisition of the second weapon has also been reported missing from the archives. The roles of the arms clerks and other staff members who were working then are being scrutinised.
The background of the cases
On 22nd July, police registered the first FIR against Afzal Ansari, the former arms clerk Ashfaq Ahmed and ex-clerk Gauri Shankar Ram, accusing them of facilitating the disappearance of documents about arms licenses and transactions. On 23rd July, a case was initiated against three individuals, including Afshan Ansari, concerning the loss of records associated with a revolver.
On 24th July, authorities registered a case against three individuals, including gang associate Mohammad Shahid, for acquiring arms licenses using fraudulent addresses. The involvement of the arms clerks, revenue officials, station house officers (SHOs), and other personnel is also being examined in these matters.
Investigations are being carried out under the Arms Act, provisions related to criminal conspiracy and other pertinent sections. Police officials have indicated that the verification process for the remaining arms licenses and weapons is ongoing.
