Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Chitrakoot have arrested three more prison officials for their role in organising unlawful meetings between jailed Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) MLA Abbas Ansari and his wife Nikhat.

The police said that prison superintendent Ashok Sagar, jailer Santosh Kumar Singh and warder Jagmohan are accused of accepting bribes from Nikhat’s driver Niyaz to allegedly facilitate meetings which found no mention in any police or jail records.

The three were already accused in the case under the charges of Prevention of Corruption Act, IPC’s section 201 (disappearance of evidence) and others.

Additional director general of police, Prayagraj Zone, Bhanu Bhaskar, said that police were working on exposing the co-conspirators who facilitated meetings between SBSP MLA Abbas Ansari and Nikhat Bano in exchange of cash.

“And for the above, co-conspirators were facilitating not only the meeting but were also privy to the designs of influencing and threatening witnesses, prosecutors and police officers. They repeatedly failed in their duties as uniformed officers,” the ADG said.

The ADG said that the teams of Chitrakoot police which raided 18 districts of the state have made recovery of incriminating documents from the residences of the accused, which will now be used as evidence in the court of law.

ADG, law and order, Prashant Kumar, said that the police are working to uncover the co-conspirators involved in the entire act.

So far, police have already arrested eight persons, including Nikhat Bano, driver Niyaz, SP district president Faraz, his accomplice Navneet and four jail officials.

Seven jail officials have also been suspended.

On February 11, Nikhat Bano visited her husband inside Chitrakoot jail and was found in possession of two mobile phones and Rs 21,000 cash along with 12 Saudi Riyals.

The police later seized the SUV used by Nikhat to visit her husband inside the jail.

Abbas Ansari was subsequently transferred to Kasganj jail by the government.

(The story has been published via a syndicated feed with a modified headline.)