Mukhtar Ansari gets custody parole for campaigning

New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) A CBI court here Saturday granted Uttar Pradesh legislator Mukhtar Ansari custody parole till May 10 for election campaigning.

A sitting legislator from Mau constituency, Ansari is facing trial here in connection with the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005. The Supreme Court transferred the case to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur.

Central Bureau of Investigation Special Judge A.K. Mendiratta granted custody parole till May 10 to Ansari to enable him to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. He is contesting from Ghosi constituency on a Quami Ekta Dal ticket.

Under custody parole, Ansari can campaign but under CBI watch.

Polling in Ghosi will take place May 12.

In the bail application, his counsel Deepak Sharma said Ansari was granted custody parole in the past also and the legislator had never misused it.

Another court here April 30 granted Ansari 10 days' custody parole in connection with a case under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for allegedly being a member of an organised crime syndicate run by co-accused Prem Prakash alias Munna Bajrangi.

Delhi Police special cell had arrested Bajrangi in October 2009 for allegedly threatening Delhi businessman Ashok Tebriwal to extort Rs.1 crore.