Allahabad HC Dismisses as Infructuous Abbas Ansari’s Plea Over CD, FSL Report Filed Late

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed as "infructuous" a plea filed by politician Abbas Ansari, challenging the late submission of key evidence by the prosecution in his ongoing trial.

The dismissal comes after the trial itself concluded with a judgment delivered on May 31, 2025.

Abbas Ansari, who was facing trial under serious charges including criminal conspiracy, threats to public servants, and promoting enmity under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, had moved the high court under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. He had sought to quash the Mau Chief Judicial Magistrate's April 9 order accepting a Compact Disc and a forensic report as evidence — material which the prosecution had filed belatedly on March 21, 2025.

Ansari’s counsel argued that admitting such evidence at a late stage was prejudicial to the defence and urged the high court to direct the trial court to ignore it.

The petition also prayed for a stay on the proceedings in the trial court during the pendency of this application.

However, by the time the matter came up substantively, the trial had already run its course. On June 25, during a routine listing of the case, the State's counsel informed the court that the trial in Criminal Case No. 9720 of 2023 (State of U.P. vs. Abbas Ansari & Another) had concluded and that a judgment had already been passed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mau, on May 31.

Accordingly, the bench of Justice Samit Gopal held that the application had become infructuous in light of the completed trial and delivered judgment.

“The judgment can always be subjected to challenge before the appropriate appellate forum if the parties choose to raise this issue on available grounds,” the court said in its final order.

Case Title: Abbas Ansari vs State of UP and Another