Violence mars GHMC elections

HYDERABAD: Cocking a snook at police bandobust for the GHMC elections, political activists had a field day on polling day on Tuesday. Late in the night, police arrested Malakpet MLA Ahmed Balala for trespassing into deputy chief minister Mahmood Ali’s residence-cum-TRS ward office and assaulting the latter’s son, Azam Ali.
Trouble started when South Zone police picked up Puranapul ward Congress contestant Md Ghouse and Charminar AIMIM MLA Pasha Quadri when they confronted each other at a polling booth near Kabootar Kana in the afternoon.
Police shifted the MLA to Charminar police station, while they detained Ghouse at the Mir Chowk police station. Around 4 pm, as Ghouse was being released by police, AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi reached the spot with his associates and Congress legislators Uttam Kumar Reddy and Md Shabbir Ali were attacked near the police station.
Talking to the media, Uttam Kumar Reddy said a complaint was lodged with police about the attack by AIMIM party workers on Shabbir Ali and him. Police had briefly detained Syed Kashif for raining blows on Shabbir Ali, but let him off on the intervention of the Hyderabad MP.
A little while before the assault, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), South Zone, V Satynarayana went towards Chanchalguda as he received information that AIMIM activists, led by Malakpet MLA Balala, confronted deputy CM Mahmood Ali’s son Azam Ali at the latter’s residence-cum TRS ward office in Azampura. “As I was reaching Chanchalguda, I heard about the commotion near Mir Chowk police station and turned back. After reaching the spot, I sent away Congress and AIMIM legislators from the spot and dispersed the mob. Congress contestant Md Ghouse was sent home with police escort,” DCP Satyanarayana told TOI.
Hyderabad police commissioner M Mahender Reddy said Congress legislators have lodged a complaint and they were gathering video evidence pertaining to the assault. “A case will be registered and appropriate action will be taken,” he added.
After the incident, Congress workers led by Uttam Kumar Reddy staged a protest in front of the DGP office in Lakdi-ka-pul and later gave a written complaint to Additional CP (L&O) Anjani Kumar at Hyderabad police commissioner’s office. The additional CP assured the Congress leaders that appropriate legal action would be taken within 24 hours.
At Azampura, MIM MLA Balala along with his associates trespassed into TRS area office located at deputy chief minister Mahmood Ali’s residence and manhandled his son Azam Ali alleging that he was supporting MBT in Azampura and Dabeerpura. Balala was taken into custody by police and shifted to Bolarum police station. “MLA Balala was arrested for trespass and assaulting deputy chief minister’s son Azam Ali,” the commissioner said.
Tension prevailed at Jangammet in Falaknuma when BJP contestant Mahender was attacked by AIMIM workers when he tried to question women voters, alleging that bogus voters were in the queue. AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi was near the scene and police quickly shifted Mahender from the spot.
Earlier in the day, Siyasat reporter Mubashiruddin Khurram was attacked by AIMIM activists at Chatta Bazaar when he was covering the elections. The reporter suffered a fracture in his left leg. In his complaint to Mir Chowk police, Khurram said that AIMIM worker Abid and others had assaulted him on the instructions of MP Asaduddin Owaisi.
MBT leader Amjedulla Khan was thrashed by AIMIM activists when he was standing on the road at Malakpet and he lodged a police complaint.
In the morning, Punjagutta police arrested Somajiguda ward Congress contestant V Sangeeta’s husband Srinivas Yadav near MS Makhta polling station for trying to woo voters by showing them to vote for the Congress using a dummy EVM and distributing party caps.
Sultan Bazaar police safeguarded Congress contestant from Jambagh, Vikram Goud, when AIMIM workers tried to attack him in the evening.
Meanwhile, three TRS workers were arrested at Neredment for distributing cash to voters. In the night, police began gathering audio-visual evidence pertaining to various poll-related crimes in the city.