Nothing to worry about, Haris Jr hints to aides in courtroom

Clad in a white shirt and black trousers, Mohammed Haris Nalapad walked into the courtroom of the  8th additional chief metropolitan magistrate amid a posse of policemen on Wednesday.

Supporters of the 24-year-old son of Congress legislator, N A Haris,  had filed through the corridor to greet him. Nalapad is the prime suspect in the  brawl at  Farzi Cafe  in the upscale UB City on the night of February 17. Nalapad and six of his associates are accused of bashing up L Vidwath, who was also dining in the restaurant.  

The tall and well-built Nalapad  entered the courtroom at 4.30 pm along with the other suspects. As he entered the courtroom, he did not greet the magistrate with folded hands and a bow as is the custom. He just stood straight with hands on the back. He motioned  to his supporters that he is  fine and there's nothing to worry.  

Nalapad closely observed the  proceedings and kept looking at the judge,  M Mahesh Babu. When Special Public Prosecutor M S Shyamsunder sought his  judicial custody and the rejection of his bail application, Nalapad  looked surprised. When the judge remanded all the suspects in judicial custody until March 7, he looked at him in disbelief.

Police allowed  Nalapad to shake hands with his supporters while escorting him out of the courtroom.  

Prosecutor wants security  

M S Shyamsunder, the special public prosecutor, has  written a letter to Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar seeking police protection. In the letter, he claimed that he had overheard Nalapad's  supporters talking about targeting him.  

Speaking to DH, he said: "I heard one of his (Nalapad's) supporters saying that one is already in the hospital and he (Shyamsundar) would be the next."