Mukhtar Ansari's body leaves for Ghazipur amidst heavy security

Following a postmortem, gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari's body on Friday left for his native home in Ghazipur amidst heavy security from Banda, police officials said. The ambulance carrying the body was accompanied by police vehicles to ensure security along the 400-km route via several districts of Uttar Pradesh.

After the postmortem at Rani Durgavati Medical College, Banda, a convoy of 26 vehicles including the ambulance carrying Ansari's body left for Ghazipur at 5.45 pm. As many as 24 police vehicles were in the convoy along with two vehicles of Ansari's family, police said.

As per police officials, Ansari's son Umar Ansari and Abbas Ansari's wife and their two cousins were present inside the ambulance carrying the body.

The state government had in advance chalked out the route following the gangster's death from a reported cardiac arrest on Thursday. On the way to Ghazipur, the convoy will pass through Prayagraj, Bhadohi, Kaushambi and Varanasi. According to family members, the burial will be held in Ghazipur.

A grave has been dug at the family cemetery at Mohammadabad's Kali Bagh, and the final timing of the last rites will be decided once the body arrives in Ghazipur.

Meanwhile, security arrangements have been tightened in Ghazipur and surrounding districts, including Mau. Family sources said Ansari's body will be laid to rest at Kali Bagh graveyard, located about half-a-kilometre from the family's residence. Sources said the graves of Ansari's parents are in the same cemetery. According to officials, his body is likely to reach Ghazipur by late evening.

A large police contingent has been deployed along the route from the residence of the Ansari family to the graveyard, and barricades have been put up in various places.

Circle officer of the area Atar Singh and station house officer of Mohammadabad police station Pawan Kumar Upadhyay said a grave has been dug for the burial, and the family members have said the timing of the burial will be decided once the body arrives.

The SHO said Ansari's family members have said if the body reaches Ghazipur by 10.00 pm, the burial will be held on Friday itself, or else it will be held on Saturday morning.