Owaisi issues first response on brother Akbaruddin's acquittal in hate speech cases

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi reacted to the acquittal of his brother Akbaruddin in hate speech cases, expressing gratitude to everyone for their prayers and support. Taking to Twitter, Owaisi also thanked his advocate and other senior lawyers for their 'valuable assistance' in the case. Throughout the trial period, the AIMIM supremo had refrained from providing any statement on his brother's case citing that the matter was sub-judice. 

On Wednesday, a special court in Hyderabad acquitted Telangana MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi in two hate speech cases, including the one pertaining to his 'remove the police for 15 minutes, we will finish off 100 crore Hindus' comment. Cases were registered against the two-time legislator from Chandrayangutta at Nizamabad on December 8, 2012, and Nirmal town on December 22, 2012, respectively. Speaking to the media outside the court, Owaisi's lawyer revealed that the cases were dismissed on the lack of evidence. 

Owaisi's lawyer said, "We have not received a copy of the judgment so far. It is only the pronouncement of judgment. In the judgment, the honourable court observed that the evidence produced by the prosecution was not enough to convict the accused. Accordingly, it acquitted the accused. In both cases, the same observation was made by the honourable judge." 

Hate speech cases against Akbaruddin Owaisi

For his shocking hate speech at the Nirmal town, where he had openly called for genocide against Hindus, Akbaruddin Owaisi was booked under Sections 121 (Waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India),153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reli­gious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or reli­gious beliefs). He was arrested in connection with this case on January 8, 2013.

While the Crime Investigation Department investigated the Nizamabad case and filed the chargesheet in 2016, the district police which probed the Nirmal case also submitted the chargesheet in the same year. In about a month, he was released from the Adilabad District Jail on February 17, 2013, after securing bail in both cases. A total of 41 and 33 witnesses were examined in the Nizamabad case and the Nirmal case respectively.