Asaduddin Owaisi Bail: Court To Decide This Afternoon

The bail petition of MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who was sent to Sangareddy jail yesterday after a local court ordered that he be kept in judicial custody for 14 days in connection with a non-bailable warrant issued against him in a 2005 case where he allegedly obstructed government officials from performing their duty and abused them, was heard today by the court.

The court reserved its order for the afternoon.

The counsel appearing for Akbaruddin Owaisi argued that due to many Parliament sessions and all-party meetings, and due to his brother's poor health after the shootout where the latter was injured, Akbaruddin Owaisi could not appear at the court despite several notices.

The Public Prosecuter argued that Sangareddy is 60km from Hyderabad, and that it takes an hour to reach there. It was strange that Owaisi could not make it there once in all these years, the PP said, despite 15 notices having been sent to him over the years.

Owaisi's lawyer also pleaded that his client was organizing a huge public meeting in Zaheerabad on January 24 where several VIPs would arrive, as a compelling reason for bail to be given. He even showed an invitation card for the meeting to the magistrate.

The magistrate however asked how come this wasn't mentioned in the bail petition filed yesterday, and was being added only today.

The magistrate also appeared upset at Owaisi not bothering to respond to any of the notices sent.

It is known that in 2009, the Sangareddy court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Asaduddin Owaisi, accused no. 1 in the case, after he refused to respond to multiple summons by the court in connection with the 2005 case.

The police, however, chose not to execute the warrant and arrest Owaisi for all these years, due to his being part of the UPA coalition ruling the country until last month.

The hearing on Akbaruddin Owaisi regarding the same case is scheduled to be held on 28 January. Akbaruddin Owaisi is accused no. 2 in the case.

Meanwhile, MIM activists resorted to protests in the city. Sans the top leadership - even Charminar MLA Pasha Qadri is under the scanner and facing arrest - the expected violence has so far not happened.