Asad, Akbar case posted to February 8

A local court on Monday examined MIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, his younger brother and jailed party MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, besides four party legislators in connection with a 2005 case filed against them for preventing government officials from performing their duties.

Asaduddin and four party legislators attended the court of judicial first class magistrate in Sangareddy, while Akbaruddin, who is lodged in Adilabad district jail in an alleged hate speech case, was produced by the police. The Owaisi brothers and others, including four party MLAs were booked by Patancheru police in Medak district for allegedly obstructing the then Medak district Collector and other officials from discharging their duties in 2005. The court questioned the six accused on the allegations mentioned in the charge sheet.

Owaisi brothers and four MLAs, however, denied all the allegations and said they wanted to proceed with the trial. The court, then posted the matter to February 8 for examination of witnesses. Earlier, NBWs were issued against the Owaisi brothers after they failed to appear before the court. The MIM chief, who is accused number 1 in the case, was remanded to judicial custody by the judicial magistrate on January 21 and dismissed his two bail petitions. Though, a higher court later granted bail to him on January 24.  The case was registered on a complaint by a revenue official that Asaduddin, party MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi and others protested demolition of a place of worship at Muttangi village near Patancheru during a road widening work of Hyderabad-Mumbai National Highway.

They had allegedly engaged in heated arguments with the then Medak District Collector A K Singhal and other officers during the protest and Owaisi brothers had allegedly pushed the Collector. There are 30 accused in this case and trial had earlier begun against 24, while it was yet to commence against Owaisi brothers and the four MLAs, as they had not attended the court proceedings earlier.

- Sakshipost