HYDERABAD: The flip-flop by Hyderabad police in the investigation of attack on senior Congress leader Shabbir Ali on the day of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporator (GHMC) election in February 2016 was questioned by the judge of MLAs & MPs court at Nampally on Thursday after
Mirchowk police
filed a second chargesheet requesting to drop
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi
as an accused.
On the day of election, when senior Congress leaders Uttam Kumar Reddy, Shabbir Ali and a few others were travelling in car, a mob stopped their car and a few persons attacked Shabbir Ali, who was seated inside the car, with fist blows after damaging the car.
When the incident took place, Asaduddin was close to Congress leaders’ car even as alleged followers of AIMIM tried to stop the Congress leaders, accusing them of violating the election code. A criminal case was then registered by Mirchowk police. Following the completion of investigation, police filed a chargesheet in Nampally court mentioning Asad as the prime accused, along with several others on the charge of assault, intimidation and violation of the model code. Police mentioned eye-witnesses and videographs.
A few months ago, Mirchowk police submitted another chargesheet before the special court, this time seeking permission to withdraw case against Asaduddin, as they claimed he was not related to attacking Shabbir Ali and citied new witnesses and videographs in the second chargesheet to support their decision.
When the case came up for hearing on Thursday, the judge directed the prosecution by questioning him to defend how a second chargesheet can be considered to withdraw name of an accused, when the same prosecution in the past had filed the chargesheet, which the court had already taken cognizance. The matter is posted to October 5 by the judge and the prosecution has to defend their decision to file the second chargesheet.
The court directed defence lawyer Abdul Azeem, who represented Asaduddin, to be present during the next hearing. Asaduddin then in a tweet had denied having any role in the attack and claimed he had restrained the attackers.