Asaduddin Owaisi surrenders: All you need to know about 2005 protest case

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi surrendered before a Andhra Pradesh court today in connection with the 2005 protest case. Soon afterwards, he applied for a bail. However, he was remanded in judicial custody till 2 February and will spend the night in jail today. His petition will be heard tomorrow. Owaisi’s brother Akbaruddin Owaisi along with other MIM leaders are also accused in the case. What happened in 2005? The case is related to the incident which took place in 2005 when district officials led by then collector Anil Kumar Singhal were removing encroachments that included a place of worship in Muttangi in Patancheru area of Medak district. At this time MIM leaders including Asaduddin, Akbaruddin, Afsar Khan, Pasha Qadri and Mozam Khan allegedly obstructed and pushed the collector aside. What happened after that? [caption id=“attachment_596306” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Asaduddin Owaisi surrendered before a Hyderbad court today in connection with the 2005 protest case. Image: ibnlive[/caption]Following complaints filed by the district administration, the Patancheru police registered cases under 295 A (hurting religious sentiments) 147 (punishment for rioting), 290 (punishment for public nuisance), 184 (obstructing sale of property offered for sale by authority of public servant), 341(punishment for wrongful restraint) and 506 (intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the Owaisis and other leaders. Why did the Owaisi brothers have to surrender to the court today? The Owaisi brothers appeared before the court once in 2009 since they were contesting the elections, but did not do so after that. Later, the police issued non-bailable warrants against Asaduddin and Akbaruddin but did not execute them. However, the Medak police on 11 January, 2013 decided to press charges against Akbaruddin in the same case. It may have also had something to do with the breakdown in ties between the MIM and Congress in the state. Medak superintendent of police G Vijay Kumar told Times of India, “We moved the petition only against Akbaruddin since an NBW is pending against him.” Akbaruddin, was arrested earlier this month in Hyderabad for delivering a series of hate speeches.  He has been charged with spreading communal hatred and waging war against the state. Akbaruddin was produced before the court in Sangareddy town on 17 January by the Patancheru Police for execution of NBW in the case.