On December 10th, the Yogi Adityanath government demolished a sprawling residence in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, owned by Riyaz Ansari, the Nagar Panchayat president and a key associate of Mukhtar Ansari, as part of its ongoing efforts to crack down on the interprovincial gang 191.
Ansari, accused of illegal construction, is currently on the run. Since December 9th, a reward of Rs 25,000 has been announced by the officials, for any information on his whereabouts. Meanwhile, law enforcement has already taken Ansari’s wife into custody.
The targeted house, situated in Mouza Abdulpur in Ghazipur’s Bahadurganj, served as both the residence and camp office for Riyaz Ahmed Ansari. The police action was started after allegations that he misused his position to construct an unauthorized structure on his wife Nikhat Parveen’s property without due approval of the construction map.
The allegedly illegal construction, covering 760 square feet of land, was demolished by a joint team of police and revenue officials at 5 am, acting on a report from the Administrative Officer of Nagar Panchayat, Bahadurganj, in the presence of Deputy Collector Kasimabad.
Ansari has also been charged with conspiring to secure a teaching position for his wife, a former municipal chairman of Bahadurganj, in a madrassa using a fake mark sheet.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against Ansari’s wife after a departmental inquiry substantiated the complaint. Although she is currently out on bail in this case, efforts are underway to arrest other people involved in the case, including Riyaz Ansari, the former chairman of the selection committee, Parvez Jamal, the former manager, Nazir Ahmed, and the former principal, Ziaul Islam.
The local police squad and Special Operations Group (SOG) are working together to locate and arrest the individuals mentioned. Following a court order on December 2nd, they were issued notices under section 82 to their residences and public places.
A day before the demolition, Riyaz Ansari and three accomplices were declared fugitives, with a reward of Rs 25,000 each announced by the police. Authorities have also initiated procedures to attach their properties if they fail to surrender within the stipulated time.
