Owaisi brothers booked, three held for attacks

Police on Wednesday booked MIM leaders Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi and arrested three activists of the party for attacks on their political rivals during elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Tuesday.

Hyderabad police have booked Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief and Hyderabad Lok Sabha member Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother and party leader Akbaruddin Owaisi in three different incidents of attacks on political rivals.

The Owaisi brothers and others were booked for unlawful assembly, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation and other charges.

Police said three people were arrested based on the video footage of the incident that occurred near Mirchowk police station in the old city wherein the Congress party's Telangana unit president Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior leader and legislator Mohammed Ali Shabbir were attacked.

Asaduddin Owaisi with his followers had come to the police station, taking objection to the presence of the Congress leaders, who were there to seek release of their party activist Mohammed Ghouse.

Deputy Commissioner of Police V. Satyanarayana said they were questioning the accused, who will be produced before a court on Thursday.

He said Asaduddin Owaisi was an accused in the case, which has been registered on a complaint by Congress leaders.

Police took action after analysing the evidence and screening the video footage.

The DCP said two teams were working to conduct the investigation and gather evidence.

Police also booked Akbaruddin Owaisi, MIM leader in the Telangana assembly, for the alleged attack on a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jangammet division, also in the old city.

The police officer said an investigation was taken up after BJP candidate Mahender lodged a complaint against the MLA at Chandrayangutta police station.

Another case was booked against Asaduddin Owaisi on a complaint by Mubashiruddin Khurram, a reporter of Urdu daily Siasat, who was injured in an attack by MIM workers.

Meanwhile, another MIM legislator Ahmed Balala, who was arrested on Tuesday for the attack on the son of Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali, was released on bail by a city court.

A separate case against Balala was booked on a complaint by Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) leader Amjadullah Khan Khalid, who was also injured in an attack.

In another incident in Langar Houz, MIM workers allegedly attacked their rivals belonging to the TDP and the BJP.

Director General of Police Anurag Sharma and Hyderabad Commissioner of Police Mahender Reddy reviewed the cases booked against MIM leaders in connection with various incidents of violence.

The opposition parties have demanded immediate action against MIM leaders for the attacks.

Leaders of Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and BJP held a meeting to condemn the attacks and seek immediate action.

The delegation led by Leader of Opposition Jana Reddy also met Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to demand strong action against MIM leaders.

They said since the governor has law and order powers in the joint capital of Hyderabad under section 8 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, he should invoke the same to intervene in the matter as the TRS government is not taking any action.

The Congress party also wrote to Election Commission of India, urging it to derecognise MIM and disqualify Owaisi brothers from contesting elections.