AIMIM leaders acquitted in 2005 mosque demolition case

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi and four of its legislators were acquitted on Thursday in a case relating to their 2005 protest over the demolition of Muthangi mosque in Medak District.

A criminal court in Sangareddy acquitted MLAs Akbaruddin Owaisi (Chandrayangutta), Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri (Charminar), Mumtaz Ahmed Khan (Yakutpura) and Mohammed Moazam Khan (Bahadurpura), besides Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi.

Asaduddin Owaisi and 21 others were charged under IPC sections 153A, 147 and 186 when they tried to prevent the government officials from demolishing a Masjid on Hyderabad-Mumbai national highway at Muthangi village near Patancheru town in former Medak district.

Revenue officials and police contingent involved in the road-widening process along the national highway were interrupted by widespread protest at Muthangi that brought AIMIM politicians from Hyderabad.

The day-long protest created heightened tension. Following the Owaisi brothers’ altercation with the then district collector A K Singhal, then chief minister late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ordered a probe into the matter and booked the AIMIM leaders.