HYDERABAD: Justice B Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Friday ordered the unsealing of Hotel Metropolis in Secunderabad. The court was hearing a writ petition filed by Abdul Rashid, the proprietor of the hotel, challenging the police action that led to the sealing of the premises.
In his petition, Abdul Rashid contended that the police were attempting to implicate him in a crime involving an individual accused of trying to disturb the sanctity of a deity at a temple in Secunderabad. The petitioner argued that the accused had merely stayed at the hotel and that this did not justify the sealing of the hotel, citing concerns of law and order.
Senior counsel L Ravichander, representing the petitioner, argued that the hotel had been operating with a valid trade licence and had rented 50 rooms and its conference hall to a personality development course run by Munawar Zama.
Ravichander said that there was no connection between the temple incident and the legitimate business activities of the hotel, criticising the police for trying to link the hotel to the alleged crime.
He further argued that this approach appeared to be rooted in Islamophobia.