Following a Supreme Court order, authorities in Ghazipur have reopened six shops linked to the controversy surrounding the Ghazal Hotel, owned by mafia figure Mukhtar Ansari. These shops had been sealed in 2021 under the Gangster Act. The reopening took place on Wednesday, October 1st, bringing joy to the shopkeepers after years of closure.
The shops, located at Ghazal Hotel in Mauhabagh, Ghazipur Kotwali, were shut down after the seizure under the Gangster Act. The reopening was conducted in the presence of Sadar Tehsildar Rajiv Yadav. The shopkeepers expressed their happiness, especially as it coincided with the Navratri festival. They described the reopening as a moment of joy.
Shopkeeper Aamir Ansari expressed his double happiness, mentioning the release of Mukhtar Ansari’s son, Umar Ansari, from jail, along with the reopening of the shops. He highlighted the hardships faced since 2021 due to the loss of their livelihood.
Out of the total 15 shops in the complex, six were the subject of a petition by four shopkeepers to the Supreme Court, which ordered their reopening in May. After completing the government procedures, the shops were reopened in the presence of Sadar Tehsildar Rajiv Yadav. The rent from these shops will now be deposited in the government treasury.
The case involves Mukhtar Ansari and his wife, Afsha Ansari. The shops were sealed in 2021 under the Gangster Act following bulldozer action and seizure by the administration, based on allegations of misuse of the hotel land. The shopkeepers are now overjoyed with the reopening, as the Supreme Court appointed the Tehsildar as the administrator and ordered the shops to be reopened.
