Police teams conducted coordinated raids at seven locations across Ghazipur and Mau districts on Sunday in a determined search for Afsha Ansari, the widow of the late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari. The operation underscores the authorities' intensified efforts to apprehend the fugitive, who is wanted on gangster charges and currently carries a bounty of Rs 50,000 in both districts.
Details of the Raids
Ghazipur Superintendent of Police (SP) Iraj Raja confirmed that the raids were carried out at seven potential hideouts in each district. The targeted locations included the residences of Mansoor Hamad Gaus, Meenuddin Lalji Yadav, Taiya Palki, Arvind Kumar Singh, Umesh Singh, and Shyam Lal Sonkar. Despite the extensive search, Afsha Ansari was not found at any of these sites. However, the SP emphasized that the operation was part of a broader, ongoing strategy to locate her.
Enhanced Surveillance Measures
In response to the lack of immediate success, authorities have ramped up efforts using electronic surveillance and other intelligence-gathering techniques. “Our teams are continuously searching for her at different locations, and today’s action was part of that ongoing effort,” Raja stated. A lookout circular has also been issued against Afsha Ansari to prevent her from escaping the region.
Future Operations
The SP indicated that further raids are planned at other probable hideouts in the coming days. Authorities have vowed to take strict action against all associates and members of Mukhtar Ansari’s IS-191 gang, signaling a zero-tolerance approach toward organized crime in the region.
This development comes as part of a wider crackdown on criminal networks in eastern Uttar Pradesh, with police leveraging both traditional policing and modern technology to track down wanted individuals. The search for Afsha Ansari remains a top priority for law enforcement agencies.
