A day after Uttar Pradesh Member of the Legislative Assembly Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari was convicted under the Terrorism and Disruptive Activities [Prevention] Act, a designated court on Wednesday sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs500,000.

Special Judge S N Dhingra also sentenced Ansari under the Arms Act to three years' imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs50,000 on default of which he would have to undergo imprisonment for one more year.

He was convicted for possession of prohibited firearms within the ‘notified' area of Delhi.

Observing that Ansari belongs to a 'dangerous spice of criminals', the court said, "Showing leniency to him should amount to grave injustice to the society."

The record of the case shows that the accused is a criminal involved in several cases of murder and abduction, the judgment said.

"The accused wields enormous muscle power, money power and political power. With this power he has been able to trample the criminal justice system.

"He went to the extent of threatening witnesses and even the victim whom he had kidnapped for ransom, who was rescued by the police, turned hostile under his fear.

"I consider that he should remain behind the bars for maximum period of time so that the society is safe from the ransom kidnappings, murders, revenge killings and witness killing at his hands," the judge observed.

Ansari, who is in jail, had switched from Samajwadi Party to the Bahujan Samaj Party, only to fight and win the last assembly election as an independent candidate.

The MLA, who has a history of criminal cases against him, had extended support to Chief Minister Mayawati from jail, when the BJP-BSP coalition was facing a crisis last year.

The Delhi police had stumbled on to him after they rescued one V P Goel, a trader, from abductors who had lodged him in a hotel in Panchkula, Haryana.

The arrested duo named Ansari as the mastermind and said he had gone to Delhi to collect the ransom amount, police had alleged.

The Special Cell then laid a trap for Ansari near the Bahai temple in South Delhi and overpowered him as he stepped out of his car.

A search of the car led to the recovery of an English-make rifle, one double-barrelled gun, an automatic single-barrelled gun and over 100 cartridges.

A uniform of an officer of the rank of deputy superintendent of police was also seized from the boot of the car. He was later chargesheeted under Arms Act and TADA.

However, Ansari was acquitted in the abduction case after Goel turned hostile in court.

A session court also discharged him in the TADA case. The administration then went in for an appeal and restored the charge.

Ansari was released on bail during the trial. However, he failed to turn up after the period of bail had ended, forcing the court to attach his property.

The MLA then surrendered before a Lucknow court and was brought to Delhi.