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The Supreme Court granted interim bail to MLA Abbas Ansari in the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, case on Friday, while also imposing certain conditions on the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party leader.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh directed that Ansari must stay at his official accommodation in Lucknow and seek prior permission from the District Administration and the trial court (Chitrakoot Sessions Court) before visiting his constituency. Further, the Court directed that Ansari cannot leave Uttar Pradesh without the trial court's permission. Moreover, the Court also directed that Ansari must not make any public statements about ongoing cases before the Court. However, the Court clarified that Ansari's right to defend himself in these cases should remain unaffected. The top court also directed that Ansari must appear before the trial court whenever required. After hearing the parties, the SC listed the matter after six weeks and directed that a status report be filed on the UP police's conduct with Ansari. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Ansari, submitted that his client has been in jail for one reason or another and has been granted bail in other cases registered against him. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) KM Nataraj opposed Ansari's bail plea and submitted that if released on bail, Ansari would influence witnesses and tamper with the evidence. After considering the submissions and noting the prosecution's apprehension that Ansari could threaten witnesses, the Court released him on interim bail with certain restrictions. The Court also noted that Ansari's conduct while he was on bail could be evaluated. Last month, the Supreme Court asked the UP Police to submit a status report on Ansari's probe and directed it to expedite it. Ansari, an MLA from UP's Mau constituency, was booked in August last year under the provisions of the UP Gangsters Act for allegedly forming a gang to extort money from people and for other unlawful financial gains. In December, the Allahabad High Court refused to grant bail to Ansari by observing that there were various cases registered against him and there were chances of him tampering with the evidence. He had moved the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court's decision. (ANI)
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