Mohammed Ansar, a Class 4 drop-out who became prime accused in Jahangirpuri violence

Atul Krishan

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Mohammed Ansar, the prime accused in the Jahangirpuri violence studied up to Class 4 only. After quitting studies due to financial problems he moved towards the world of crime. However, apart from the Jahangirpuri violence case, there are only two cases lodged against him on record and investigation in both the cases is still pending.

This could be because the crimes committed by him as a juvenile cannot be taken on record.

Ansar was also arrested repeatedly under preventive sections and booked five times under the Gambling Act and the Arms Act.

Ansar had initially joined Asaduddin Owaisi's party, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen. Later he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, but here too he was not satisfied and quit the party. Finally he joined the Aam Aadmi Party along with Ashwini Bagdi and others.

The Delhi Police has mentioned his name in the FIR. He has been accused of provoking the mob and mobilizing people to attack the religious procession.

The Delhi Police in its dossier accessed by IANS, has described him as a scrap dealer of the area.

"The accused was born in 1980 at Jahangirpuri shanties. His family was facing huge financial crisis. Due to this he could not study. He studied till 4th class only. He left his studies and started working as a child labourer. During this time he came in contact with bad elements of the society. From here he indulged in crime. He committed a number of crimes. To earn quick money he went into the crime world. Later on he started keeping a knife with him. On 13 February 2009, he was arrested for the first time and remanded to judicial custody. It was a case of Arms Act, the investigation in the case is still pending. A second case was lodged against him in 2018. It was lodged under sections 186/353. He was arrested and later on released on bail. Investigation in this case is also pending," read the dossier accessed by IANS.

Ansar also owns a luxurious mansion in Haldia, the prime industrial township in West Bengal's East Midnapore district and has an image of a philanthropist there.

Ansar is originally from Assam, he married into a family which had been living in Haldia for a long time. Soon after his marriage, Ansar built a mansion in Haldia and used to visit it frequently.

On April 16, clashes broke out between two groups of people, belonging to different communities, during a Shobha Yatra procession on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti in Delhi's Jahangirpuri area. As many as eight police personnel and a civilian sustained injuries in the violence.

The Delhi Police on Sunday arrested Ansar. He is currently in police remand. Delhi Police's crime branch is trying to know how deep rooted was the conspiracy in the Jahangirpuri violence.