Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh), May 10 (IANS) Police teams from Uttar Pradesh’s Mau and Ghazipur districts on Sunday conducted intensive raids at multiple locations in search of absconding Afsha Ansari, wife of deceased gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and an alleged associate of the IS-191 gang, officials said.

According to police, Afsha Ansari has been absconding for a long period and carries a reward of Rs 50,000 each announced by the police in Mau and Ghazipur districts. A lookout circular has also been issued against her.

Ghazipur Superintendent of Police Iraj Raja said raids were conducted at seven suspected hideouts across Mau and Ghazipur districts, including the residences of alleged associates where Afsha Ansari was suspected to be hiding.

“Afsha Ansari, wife of deceased gangster Mukhtar Ansari, is wanted in connection with cases linked to the IS-191 gang. Raids were conducted at seven locations in Ghazipur and Mau districts. Information gathered during the searches is being analysed and electronic evidence is also being collected,” the Superintendent of Police said.

He expressed confidence that Afsha Ansari would soon be arrested and added that other gang members allegedly involved in criminal activities were also under police surveillance.

Police teams carried out searches at the residences of Mansoor Ansari, former Mau Municipal Chairman Tayyab Palki, Gaus Moinuddin, Lalji Yadav, Arvind Singh, Umesh Singh and Shyamlal Sonkar.

One of the major raids was conducted at the residence of former Municipal Chairman Tayyab Palki in Mau city’s Mirzahadipura area. Police teams from Kasimabad police station in Ghazipur and Dakshin Tola police station in Mau reached the premises with a heavy police force at around 9 a.m. and conducted a search operation lasting nearly an hour.

Women police personnel separately questioned women members of the household and verified their identities, but no clue regarding Afsha Ansari was found. Police later returned without making any arrest.

The raids triggered panic among supporters and associates linked to Mukhtar Ansari in the region.

According to police records, Afsha Ansari, a resident of Yusufpur in the Mohammadabad area of Ghazipur district, faces multiple criminal cases.

Several cases, including those related to fraud, forgery, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the Gangsters Act and Section 174-A of the IPC, have been registered against her at Dakshin Tola police station in Mau. Around 10 other cases are also reportedly registered against her at various police stations in Ghazipur district.

Following the raid, Tayyab Palki termed the police action politically motivated. He claimed that despite cooperating with investigators, police personnel entered the house and questioned women members of the family.

“My association with Mukhtar Ansari was only political. I never had any direct connection with the family,” he said, alleging that political rivals were behind the repeated police action against him.

Meanwhile, Mau Circle Officer Krish Rajpoot confirmed that a joint team of Mau and Ghazipur Police conducted raids in the Dakshin Tola area to trace and arrest the wanted accused.

–IANS

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