Lucknow: All accused in the 2004 Lucknow Cantonment firing case have been acquitted by a court, with the ruling citing a lack of evidence, bringing an end to a long-running legal battle.

Advocate Romil Sagar welcomed the verdict on Saturday, describing it as a “victory for justice”. Speaking to ANI, he said the case stemmed from allegations made by Mukhtar Ansari against Brijesh Singh and several others, which were later found to be false.

According to Sagar, Ansari had filed an FIR in 2004 claiming that Singh and his associates had intercepted his convoy near Varanasi and opened fire. A counter FIR was also lodged from the opposing side.

He added that the court, in its order, concluded that the accusations could not be substantiated, leading to the acquittal of all those named in the case.

The verdict marks a significant development in one of the region’s most high-profile criminal cases, which has spanned over two decades.

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Meanwhile, Ansari, a controversial political figure, died on March 28, 2024, after suffering a cardiac arrest at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh. He had previously been convicted in multiple cases, including the killing of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, and had also been sentenced to life imprisonment in a separate arms licence case earlier in 2024.

Legal proceedings linked to his family have also continued in recent years. In 2025, the Allahabad High Court granted bail to his son, Umar Ansari, in a case involving alleged forgery and submission of fake documents related to confiscated property.

Background of the case

The 2004 Lucknow Cantt firing case originated from a violent clash between rival gangs led by Mukhtar Ansari and Brijesh Singh.

The incident took place on January 13, 2004, at the Sadar railway crossing in Lucknow, when the convoys of Ansari, then an Independent MLA, and Krishnanand Rai, a BJP legislator backed by Singh, crossed paths. This led to a gunfight in broad daylight.

Following the shootout, cross-FIRs were filed by both sides, with Ansari accusing Singh and his associates of attempted murder and rioting.