By Sumit Saxena

New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday unleashed a barrage of charges against the Punjab government for providing shelter to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who is accused in several heinous cases in UP.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that Ansari is getting five-star treatment in a Punjab jail, and questioned why state government is supporting a gangster?

Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, did not mince words in criticising the Punjab government before a bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and R. Subhash Reddy. "He (Ansari) is happy in Punjab jail and he is enjoying," Mehta said.

The Solicitor General added added that Ansari is being vociferously defended by the Punjab government. He said the Punjab government claims that he (Ansari) is suffering from depression, but in reality he is enjoying his time in jail.

"The Punjab government is supporting a gangster. There are very serious cases pending against Ansari and the trials of the same are pending in Uttar Pradesh," Mehta contended before the top court.

The Uttar Pradesh government has moved the top court seeking Ansari's transfer from Punjab to UP. However, the Ropar jail authorities have refused to hand him over citing medical grounds.

Mehta added that summons were issued against Ansari, but then he got an FIR registered against himself in Punjab and did not even file for bail, rather he is enjoying his time in Punjab. The Uttar Pradesh government has termed the FIR as a complete sham and a design to help Ansari escape the law in UP.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Ansari, said that his client can appear through video conferencing in cases in Uttar Pradesh. Mehta rebutted that Ansari cannot choose a forum and he cannot sit in five-star accommodation and then appear for trial in Uttar Pradesh.

Mehta told senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing the Punjab government, "You are supporting Ansari."

In an affidavit, the Uttar Pradesh government said that Ansari has been sheltered in Punjab for the past two years on the basis of two FIRs filed against him.

"The respondent state of Punjab has made a mockery of the federal structure of the Constitution by seeking to defend an accused who is a gangster and a history sheeter," said the affidavit.

The Uttar Pradesh government added that more than 30 FIRs and over 14 criminal trials, including for heinous crimes like murder, are pending against Ansari in various MP/MLA courts, where his personal appearance has been sought.

Slamming the Punjab government, the Uttar Pradesh government said that its response is an attempt to gloss over and draw a veil over its true intent to not produce Ansari before a court in UP.

"The state of Punjab has not proceeded with the investigation of the FIR No. 5 of 2019 or filing of the chargesheet for two years even after arresting the accused on January 22, 2019 and lodging him in jail since January 24, 2019," said the UP government.

Earlier, the top court had directed the Punjab government to file a detailed reply on the pending case against Ansari, including the status of trial along with a report on his medical condition.