Mukhtar Ansari: from freedom fighter's grandson to gangster

Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died on Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Booked in 65 criminal cases ranging from murder to extortion, Ansari comes from an illustrious family which participated in India's freedom struggle and also played a role post-indepedence.

Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, his paternal grandfather, was a prominent leader in the Indian National Congress. He became the party president in 1927.

India Today reported that Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari was also involved with the Muslim League but distanced himself due to partition agenda. He also served as the Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia until his death in 1936.

On the maternal side, Brigadier Mohammad Usman, Mukhtar Ansari's grandfather, was a decorated officer in the Indian Army. He died during a conflict with Pakistan in 1948 in Jammu & Kashmir's Nowshera sector. He was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.