HYDERABAD: A local court on Thursday convicted four persons in connection with a murderous attack on Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi in 2011 while acquitting 10 other accused in the case, including prime accused Mohammed Pahelwan.
The Seventh Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Thursday convicted four persons and sentenced them with 10-years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a penalty of `8,500 for each of them.
Judge T Srinivas Rao convicted Hasan Bin Omer Yafai (A2), Abdullah Bin Yonus Yafai (A3), Awad Bin Yonus Yafai (A5) and Mohammed Bin Saleh Wahlan (A 12), under Sections 147, 148, 307 r/w 324 and 326 of the IPC and under other relevant Sections of the Indian Arms Act. The court has found the four persons guilty on charges of attempt to murder and removed the charges of conspiracy (Section 120 B of IPC) against them.
The prime accused in the case Mohammed Bin Omer Yasafi alias Mohammed Pahelwan, who allegedly masterminded the attack on the MLA and nine others were acquitted as the court did not find any evidence against them on the charges framed by the police. On April 30, 2011, MLA Akbaruddin was attacked by a group of people with knives and firearms at Barkas here in Chandrayangutta police station limits near his office.
One of the assailants, Ibrahim Bin Younus Yafai, nephew of Pahelwan, had died after he was hit by a bullet when the gunman of another AIMIM MLA Ahmed Balala accompanying Akbaruddin had opened fire in retaliation. Akbaruddin, who survived the attack, had suffered stab and bullet injuries and underwent around 20 days of treatment at a hospital here following which he was discharged.
The police had said that the attack on the MLA was related to a land dispute when the MLA reportedly opposed encroachments by some of the assailants in the Old City area. A case was registered at Chandrayangutta police station immediately after the attack but was later transferred to the central crime station police.
The police had arrested 14 persons, who faced trial and six among them had received bail during the trial, while eight others including Pahelwan were lodged at Cherlapally Central Prison.
The court had examined 83 witnesses and over 150 material evidence in the case during the trial and after six years, it heard the arguments of the both the parties on Thursday and pronounced its judgement. Among the convicts, only Wahlan was out on bail while the other three along with five others were in the jail.
Speaking to media after the judgement, defence counsel G Gurumurthy said “The sentences will run concurrently to the four convicts. We will move the higher court against the verdict of conviction”.
Later in the evening, acquitted persons were also taken to Cherlapally Central Prison to finish the formalities. “They may be released on Friday morning,” said another advocate from the defence counsel.
City cops beef up security at Nampally Court, Barkas
HYDERABAD: Amidst the huge bandobast, hundreds of supporters and relatives of the accused persons had come to the Nampally court here to learn about the judgement in the case of murder attempt on MIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi in 2011. The Hyderabad city police deployed high security at Nampally court and Barkas area in the Old City to prevent untoward incidents in the wake of the judgement in the case.
Huge contingents of armed personnel along with Task Force police were deployed at the court and media was not allowed in the court. CCTVs were installed to monitor the movement of suspects and police in mufti were deployed on the court premises.
Counsel for Mohammed Pahelwan, G Gurumurthy said, “The court after examining all the evidence acquitted A-1 Mohammed Bin Omer Yafai alias Mohammed Pahelwan from all the 14 charges framed against him, including the charges of criminal conspiracy. Only four persons have been convicted for a period of 10 years.”
Advocate Gurmurthy said that they are expecting a positive judgment in the counter case filed against MLA and others in connection with this case.