Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi was made to travel over 600 km by road, to Sangareddy in Medak district and back in connection with another case pending against him since 2005, on Thursday.
He was taken Sangareddy for execution of a non-bailable warrant filed by the Patancheru police in a case registered against him, his brother Asaduddin Owaisi and others. A team of policemen headed by Patancheru Inspector P. Ravinder Reddy took Akbaruddin into custody around 6 a.m. and drove him straight to Sangareddy.
Accused number two
The to and fro journey took about nine hours, while his production in court and completion of other formalities took little over half an hour. He is accused number two in the case registered for obstructing then Medak Collector A.K. Singhal from discharging his duties, among other charges.
The police presented him before the Judicial First Class and Excise and Prohibition Court Magistrate K. Maruti Devi in cases (crime no 130/2005) registered against him under Sections 147, 153 (A), 353, 290, 295 (A), 186, 341, 504 and 506 of the IPC as also Section 7 of Criminal Amendment Act. The judge remanded him till January 28 and directed the police to present him on the same date in the court.
Karwan MIM MLA Afsar Khan, who spoke to reporters outside the District Jail here after Akbaruddin’s return, accused Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy of ‘settling scores’ as was evident from hauling the ailing MLA over such a long distance. “I spoke with Ranga Reddy Superintendent of Police after the lathicharge in Sangareddy. He said he was helpless as the Chief Minister is directly monitoring the case,” the MLA said.
Meanwhile, the First Additional Sessions Court in Adilabad will hear arguments in the bail petitions of Akbaruddin and Azeem-bin-Yahya, the second accused in the hate speech case, on January 23.
Mild tension
Sangareddy Staff Reporter adds: Police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the MIM supporters who tried to obstruct the convoy in which Akbaruddin was brought to the district court complex from Adilabad.
Heavy police force was positioned in the town, in the vicinity of the court complex in particular, as a precautionary measure.
Tension prevailed in the area during the brief time for which Mr. Owaisi was brought to the court and escorted back to Adilabad.
