Ghazipur CJM court cites insufficient evidence and lack of witness testimony to support the charges
Team Clarion
GHAZIPUR – Samajwadi Party (SP) Member of Parliament Afzal Ansari, brother of prominent leader Mukhtar Ansari, was on Saturday acquitted by the Ghazipur Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in a 23-year-old case related to allegations of sedition and obstruction of official work.
The case dates back to August 9, 2001, when a protest during a state bandh (shutdown) allegedly led by Ansari turned violent at the Mohammadabad SDM office. The police accused the protesters, including Ansari, of damaging property and causing disruption.
In the case, which had remained unresolved for over two decades, Ansari and eight others were initially charged with sedition, rioting, and damaging government property. The charges were based on allegations that the protesters, numbering around 4,000, had barged into the SDM office, clashed with police, and created a ruckus during the state bandh.
However, after a lengthy investigation and trial, the Ghazipur CJM court, under Chief Judicial Magistrate Swapan Anand, acquitted all the accused, citing insufficient evidence and lack of witness testimony to support the charges.
Speaking to the media shortly after the verdict, Afzal Ansari expressed his gratitude to the judiciary and reaffirmed his trust in the legal system. “I had faith in the judiciary. This decision has foiled the conspiracy of the opponents,” he said. “The opposition, in collaboration with the administration, registered this case against me due to the state bandh, but the truth has prevailed.”
Ansari also pointed out that the case was politically motivated, asserting that it was part of an effort to tarnish his reputation and undermine his work.
During his interaction with the press, Ansari also addressed the recent violence in Sambhal. “The Supreme Court has reprimanded the actions, but some people, despite all the criticism, remain shameless and continue to make baseless statements,” he said. “Judicial officers are even being threatened.”
Ansari further warned that those responsible for such actions would eventually face consequences, hinting at future accountability. “The people in power today will not remain there forever. The wrongdoers will be held accountable. The law will catch up with them.”
He also expressed concern about the treatment of women involved in the violence, pointing out that women had been unjustly jailed. “What happened in Sambhal angered the people, and now women are being sent to jail. These atrocities will not go unanswered,” Ansari said.
Afzal Ansari’s acquittal in the 23-year-old case marks a significant legal victory for him, but his comments reflect a broader political struggle in which he continues to assert his innocence against what he sees as a concerted effort to silence him. With his faith firmly placed in the judiciary, Ansari now sets his sights on further political and legal battles, insisting that the law will ultimately deliver justice to those who misuse their power.
