Court quashes MIM chief's bail plea, brothers to stay in jail

The Medak district court in Sangareddy town rejected the bail plea of Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday, even as a bandh was being observed in the walled city here, parts of Medak, Adilabad and Karimnagar in Telangana and Anantpur in Rayalaseema regions, protesting the arrest of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief in a seven-year-old case.

A court in Nirmal town in Adilabad district also extended the remand of Owaisi’s brother, Akbaruddin, till February 5. The 14-day judicial custody of the younger Owaisi, who was arrested for his hate speech, ended on Tuesday.

Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in the old city and other Muslim-majority areas of Tolichowki, Musheerabad, Mallepally and Asiffnagar. State-owned Road Transport Corporation suspended a majority of its bus services while autorickshaws were also off the road.

The usually busy markets around the historic Charminar wore a deserted look. Police and paramilitary forces were deployed in the communally sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incident.

MIM general secretary Ahmed Pasha Khadri said the party had not called for shutdown but it was people in districts and towns who were voluntarily keeping their shops and business establishments closed to show solidarity with Owaisi.

The police also tightened security in Nirmal, where Akbaruddin’s custody was extended before he was taken back to the Adilabad Jail.