The Supreme Court’s intervention has brought relief to shopkeepers associated with the Ghazal Hotel, linked to the controversial figure Mukhtar Ansari. The Ghazipur administration, acting on the court’s orders, has reopened six shops previously sealed under the Gangster Act in 2021. The shops were unlocked on Wednesday, October 1st, much to the delight of the shop owners.
The shops, part of the Ghazal Hotel in Mauhabagh, Ghazipur Kotwali, were closed due to actions under the Gangster Act. The reopening was overseen by Sadar Tehsildar Rajiv Yadav, and the shopkeepers celebrated the occasion, especially with the ongoing Navratri festival. They viewed it as a moment of double celebration.
One of the shopkeepers, Aamir Ansari, expressed his happiness, highlighting the simultaneous good news of Mukhtar Ansari’s son, Umar Ansari, being released from jail and the reopening of the shops. He emphasized the hardships they faced since 2021 due to the closure of their businesses.
Out of the total 15 shops, six were part of a petition filed by four shopkeepers in the Supreme Court. The court ordered the reopening of these six shops in May. After the completion of the necessary government procedures, the shops were reopened in the presence of Sadar Tehsildar Rajiv Yadav. The rent from these shops will now go to the government treasury.
The case involves Mukhtar Ansari and his wife, Afsha Ansari. The shops were sealed in 2021 under the Gangster Act following demolition and seizure due to alleged misuse of the hotel’s land. The shopkeepers are very happy with the reopening, which followed the Supreme Court’s decision to appoint the Tehsildar as administrator and to allow the shops to be reopened.