HYD COURT ISSUES NBW AGAINST AKBAR OWAISI

By Shafiuddin / Hyderabad

A local court today issued a non-bailable warrant against Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi for allegedly making a “hate speech” against a particular community.

Based on a private complaint of Kashimshetty Karunasagar, a practising advocate, the VII Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court here issued the non-bailable warrant with a direction to Maddannapet police to produce Akbaruddin before it on 9 May.
Akbaruddin’s counsel Mohd Azim filed an application in the court seeking recall of the non-bailable warrant.

“We have filed an application seeking to cancel the NBW. The court has posted the matter for tomorrow,” Azim told INN, adding that his client was ready to appear before the court.

Karunasagar had filed a complaint on 28 December last year in the court seeking registration of a case against Akbaruddin under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and other relevant sections of the IPC.

He had alleged that he saw an online video wherein Akbaruddin, who represents Chandrayangutta Assembly seat, was seen using inflammatory and derogatory words against a particular community, while addressing a public meeting at Nirmal town.

Earlier, the Second Metropolitan Magistrate of Ranga Reddy district had issued a non-bailable warrant against Akbaruddin on 16 April after he failed to appear before it in a hate speech case lodged against him at Nirmal town in Adilabad district.

Police had suo-motu booked cases in Nirmal and Nizamabad districts against the MIM legislator after he allegedly used inflammatory and derogatory language against a community during his public speeches in December last year.

The MIM leader also faces charges of sedition and waging war against the nation among others, under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Subsequently, multiple cases were lodged against Akbaruddin following court directives across Andhra Pradesh.

42-year-old Akbaruddin, the MIM’s floor leader in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, was arrested by the Nirmal police from Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad on January 8. He was later released on bail on February 15.