Telangana high court defers habeas corpus plea in advocate’s murder case

Hyderabad: A vacation bench of Telangana high court adjourned a habeas corpus petition linked to the alleged murder of advocate Khaja Moizuddin at Masab Tank on May 23.

The plea, filed by Syed Sadiq on behalf of suspects Hasan Bin Ali Yafai and Muneer Ahmed, was moved as a lunch motion and carried serious allegations against police conduct.

A division bench, comprising Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka and Justice Vakiti Ramakrishna Reddy, posted the matter to June 4 without passing interim orders.

The petitioner alleged that police illegally detained and tortured family members of the suspects, including elderly parents, and urged the court to direct police to produce them immediately.

Specifically, the petition named family members of Hasan, a mechanic, his mother Akhtar Unnisa Begum, wife Safina Khatun, brother Omer Bin Ali Yafai, and son Essa Bin Hasan Yafai, who have allegedly been in custody since May 25.

The petitioner urged the court to direct police to produce the missing persons. Compensation was also sought for violation of statutory and fundamental rights.

Further, the petition claimed the motive behind the advocate’s killing was tied to his professional work. Moizuddin had been engaged in long-standing legal battles to safeguard Waqf Board properties, making him a target, the petitioner argued.

Moizuddin had also been actively working to protect institutional lands from illegal encroachers who had established properties on them, the petitioner added.