Charge sheet filed against Akbaruddin Owaisi in hate speech case

Police in Telangana have filed charge sheet against MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi in the alleged hate speech case.

The state home ministry informed this to the High Court of Judicature here on Monday.

The charge sheet was filed in a court in Adilabad district after the state government gave permission for his prosecution.

The high court in January had ordered police to expedite the process of filing the charge sheet.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt was dealing with a PIL seeking direction to police to complete the investigations in the FIRs registered against Akbaruddin.

Two cases were registered against Akbaruddin, leader of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslieem (MIM) in the Telangana state assembly, at two police stations in Adilabad and Nizamabad districts in relation to his alleged hate speeches at Nirmal and Nizamabad on December 8 and 22, 2012. He was booked for promoting enmity between people.

The MIM leader was arrested on January 7, 2013 after his speeches went viral on social networking sites. After spending 40 days in jail, he walked free after a court granted him bail.

His voice was recorded in both the courts and sent for forensic examination as he claimed that the voice in the footage was not his.