A district court here has sentenced gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and an accomplice to 10 years in prison under the Gangsters Act in connection with the murder of Congress leader Ajay Rai's brother.

Additional Sessions Judge, MP/MLA Court, Durgesh also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh each on Ansari and his accomplice Bhim Singh on Thursday.

The court convicted Ansari and Singh under the Gangsters Act and sentenced them to 10 years in jail, Additional District Government Counsel (ADGC) Neeraj Kumar said.

Elaborating on the case, Kumar said at around 1 am on August 3, 1991, Congress leader Ajay Rai and his brother Awadhesh were standing at the gate of their house in Varanasi when some car-borne assailants, including Ansari, came there and shot Awadhesh.

All the attackers had weapons in their hands. Ajay Rai fired from his licensed pistol, following which the assailants left behind their car and fled, he said.

Ajay Rai rushed his brother to a hospital in Kabirchaura, where doctors declared him dead.

In this connection, a case was registered against Ansari and Singh at Ghazipur police station.

A five-time former MLA, Ansari, 59, is facing over four dozen criminal cases. He is presently lodged in Banda jail in Uttar Pradesh.

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