Amzad Ali
Ghaus Mohiuddin Ansari has surrendered at the Mohammadabad Police Station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district in connection with the 2001 Usri Chatti case. The case relates to an incident in which Manoj Rai, who was identified as the attacker, was killed. Ansari’s surrender marks a major development in the long-pending case, which is linked to the criminal and political history of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The Usri Chatti incident occurred in 2001 in the Mohammadabad area, during a period marked by intense gang rivalry and political violence. In the incident, Manoj Rai, identified as an attacker, was killed. The episode followed closely after the assassination of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, a time when the region was already witnessing heightened tension and violent power struggles.
The case regained attention when the father of the deceased, Shailendra Kumar Rai, filed a second FIR on 20 January 2023, registered as Crime No. 23/2023. Filed after a gap of 22 years, the FIR alleged serious lapses in the earlier investigation and claimed that influential accused persons were deliberately shielded.
During the investigation of the second FIR, the name of Ghaus Mohiuddin Ansari emerged. He initially obtained interim protection from arrest from the Allahabad High Court, preventing his custody during the probe. However, after the filing of the charge sheet, Ansari allegedly went absconding, prompting the district police to announce a reward of ₹25,000 for information leading to his arrest.
On 21 January 2025, Ansari attempted to surrender before the Special Judge (MP/MLA Court) in Lucknow. The court rejected his plea, directing him to surrender before the competent court or authority in Ghazipur, where the sessions trial is pending. Following this direction, Ansari surrendered at Mohammadabad Police Station, where police accepted his surrender and initiated legal proceedings.
The Usri Chatti case has often been discussed in the broader context of organized crime and political rivalry in eastern Uttar Pradesh and has been informally linked to the network associated with former MLA Mukhtar Ansari. While Mukhtar Ansari’s direct involvement in this case remains subject to legal scrutiny, the case is widely viewed as part of the violent gang conflicts of that era.
Legal expert Kaif Hasan notes that the case raises critical questions regarding the legality of a second FIR after an extraordinary delay, the reliability of evidence after two decades, and the legal consequences of absconding post–charge sheet. With the surrender of Ghaus Mohiuddin Ansari, the case has once again come under judicial and public scrutiny, reopening a turbulent chapter of the region’s past.
