HYDERABAD: P Madhu, a former CPM MP, was injured in an attack allegedly by MIM workers in the old city here on Monday.
According to the police, Madhu suffered minor injuries in a scuffle between the activists of the two parties in Bhavani Nagar area. Polices registered cases against an MIM MLA and the local corporator for the attack.
The attack took place when the CPM leader went to Nasheman Nagar in Bhavani Nagar to visit the family of a history-sheeter, Mohd Aqeel (22), who committed suicide on Sunday alleging police harassment. Aqeel hanged himself to death at his house in the night after his family members had gone out to attend a wedding. He left behind a suicide note alleging that he was being harassed by the police.
MIM senior leaders including its MP Asaduddin Owaisi visited Aqeel’s family the same night to console them. On Monday morning, the CPM leader went to the area to visit the family. On coming to know of the visit, a large number of MIM activists reached the place and prevented Madhu from visiting the family.
Yakutpura MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan and Talab Chanchalam corporator Wajahat Ali Khan also reached the place and picked an argument with Madhu and asked him to leave the place.
Madhu and his supporters refused to comply with the demand. As tempers ran high, the rivals groups came to blows. The policemen present then were too few to control the situation. The heated argument turned into a scuffle in which Madhu’s shirt got torn and he suffered minor injuries. Four other CPM workers were also injured. Police somehow manages to bundle Madhu and others into a vehicle and whisked them out of the locality.
As tension mounted, businessmen downed their shutters and additional forces were rushed to the locality. Later, Madhu and others staged a dharna in front of the Bhavani Nagar police station. Madhu was later shifted to the Osmania general hospital for treatment. CPM state secretary BV Raghavulu, MBT corporator Amjedullah Khan and others visited Madhu.
South Zone DCP Manish Kumar Sinha said cases under Sections 323 and 147 were registered against MIM MLA Mumtaz Khan, corporator Wajahat Ali Khan and others for the attack but no arrests were made.
In the past also Madhu came under attack by MIM workers due as the CPM began making inroads into the MIM bastion.
On the suicide of Aqeel, the DCP said they were inquiring into the allegations made by the deceased.