Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh), June 29 (IANS): Jailed Bahujan Samaj Party MLA and mafia don, Mukhtar Ansari, has pleaded before a Barabanki court for a television set in his barrack.

Ansari made the plea during his appearance before Barabanki Chief Judicial Magistrate Rakesh, when a hearing was underway for the extension of his judicial custody in a forgery case on Monday through video conference.

The forgery case is related to the registration of a bulletproof ambulance that Ansari allegedly used for moving between the Ropar jail in Punjab and various court in the state.

Ansari's counsel Randhir Singh Suman said his client told the court the government has made provisions for television in jail barracks across the state to facilitate prison inmates see news and entertainment programmes.

Ansari also pleaded to the court to direct the Banda jail to provide for his physiotherapy every day in the prison to treat his orthopaedic problems. He said despite his repeated requests, the Banda Jail Authority has deprived him of this essential medical aid.

He said that the Uttar Pradesh government was giving step-motherly treatment to Ansari, depriving him of a basic civic amenity in the jail.

The court, meanwhile, has extended Ansari's judicial custody till July 5 in the case of the fraudulent registration of the ambulance.

Ansari has been lodged in Banda jail after he was brought here from Ropar jail in Punjab in April this year.