With MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi reaching Nirmal town Tuesday night, a tense atmosphere prevailed in the area. As a precautionary measure, 30 leaders and activists of the BJP and the Hindu Vahini were detained along with 20 MIM leaders and activists. Additional forces, including personnel from the RAF and CRPF, were deployed in the town and police security was beefed up at several check posts on the way to Nirmal. Meanwhile, MIM has called for a district bandh on Wednesday protesting against their leader’s arrest.
Akbaruddin arrived at the Nirmal rural police station at around 9.50 p.m. While he was taken inside the police station, his advocate Md Shafiuddin was not allowed to follow him, leading to heated arguments between him and the cops. He was later allowed inside but three other MIM MLAs - Afsar Khan (Karwan), Mumtaz Ahamed Khan (Yakutpura) and Virasat Rasool Khan (Nampally) - were asked to stay put outside.
There were some tense movements when some MIM activists tried to barge into the police station and raised slogans against the police. Cops resorted to lathicharge to disperse them.
Earlier, they had taken into custody some MIM activists who tried to obstruct the police convoy at Soan bridge at the district borders. Police had also taken into preventive custody Charminar MLA Syed Ahamed Pasha Quadri and Bahadurpura MLA Mohazam Khan when the duo were trying to enter Nirmal town.
With the police getting prepared to escort Akbaruddin to the magistrate’s residence at Indira Nagar, there was traffic jam on the highway outside the police station. Akbar had his dinner in the police station itself. Later doctors once again examined him and police were questioning him when the reports last came in at 1 a.m.
Meanwhile, Azim Bin Jahia, Nirmal town president of MIM, who had organised the meeting at the Junior College Grounds on Dec. 22, also surrendered at the police station.