Akbaruddin Owaisi Acquitted In Hate Speech Cases

In a stunning judgement, the special court for MP and MLA cases today acquitted AIMIM floor leader in the Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi of all charges in connection with the two hate speech cases filed against him by the police in December 2012.

The special judge found the evidence submitted by the prosecution insufficient, and gave Owaisi the benefit of doubt.

This despite that fact that the speeches, quite long, are on the Internet, free for all to see.

Speaking to media persons, counsel for Akbaruddin Owaisi M A Azeem said that the court had observed that the evidence produced by the prosecution was not sufficient.

Referring to the report of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) produced by the prosecution, he said that it was not corroborated by the other evidence produced by the prosecution.

The two cases are related to his controversial speeches delivered in Nizamabad on December 8, 2012, and at Nirmal on December 22, 2012, respectively.

The police had arrested Owaisi in January 2013 in connection with the speeches. Owaisi spent 40 days in an Adilabad jail after his arrest.

In court, Owaisi had denied all allegations levelled against him in the two cases.

The Nirmal police and the CID investigated the two cases and submitted a chargesheet in 2016. As many as 41 witnesses were examined in the Nizamabad case, and 33 in the Nirmal hate speech case.

The arguments in the court concluded on April 7.