The Supreme Court will hear on Friday the appeal of the wife of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari seeking directions to the Uttar Pradesh authorities to ensure that her husband's life is "protected" in the state besides being accorded fair trial in cases against him.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and R Subhash Reddy, as per the apex court's website, would hear on April 9 the plea of Afshan Ansari who has also expressed apprehension about possible attempts to eliminate her spouse in Uttar Pradesh.

Ansari, the MLA from Mau in UP, has been lodged in Ropar jail since January 2019 in connection with an extortion case, and facing many cases in UP and elsewhere. The matter is listed for hearing before a Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan.

Ansari's wife sought safety for her husband while he is being shifted to Banda district jail in Uttar Pradesh from Rupnagar jail in Punjab, and during the trial in pending cases in the state. Afshan while alleging an imminent threat to Ansari's life, has sought the intervention of the top court to ensure that her husband is not killed in a so-called fake encounter.

"The petitioner is in complete fear that now any time an untoward incident can happen to her husband but for protective directions passed by this Court," Afshan said in her plea. Fearing for her husband's life and seeking a direction to the UP Police not to kill her husband in a fake encounter, Afshan urged to allow him to face a "free and fair trial."

The Supreme Court had on March 26, ordered that Ansari be shifted to Uttar Pradesh jail from Punjab, keeping in view the fact that he is allegedly involved in many criminal cases. The apex court in its order on March 26, had granted two weeks time to shift Ansari from Rupnagar jail in Punjab to Banda jail in Uttar Pradesh.

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