Abu Azmi, two others booked for giving 'provocative' speeches

Hyderabad, Jun 13: Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi and two leaders of Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT) were booked today for allegedly giving provocative speeches and promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, police said.

A criminal case was registered today against the three leaders after they allegedly gave provocative speeches at an event organised in the city last night, they said.

"While addressing a jalsa (congregation) here last night, Azmi allegedly gave a provocative speech comparing the investigation in the April 7 encounter near Alair of Nalgonda district of Telangana, wherein five undertrials were killed and also the killing of 20 people in police firing in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh that also took place on April 7," Inspector of Rein Bazar Police Station G Ramesh told PTI.

"Taking suo motu note of the matter, a case has been booked and it is being investigated," the police officer said. Azmi currently represents Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly constituency in Mumbai suburban district.

A case was registered against Azmi and MBT leaders Farhatullah Khan and Amjadullah Khan under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of IPC, the Inspector said.

DCP (south zone) V Satyanarayana said they were also analysing the video footage of the meeting. "The meeting went beyond the permitted time and we are verifying that as well," he added.

Five undertrials - Viquar, Syed Amjad Ali, Mohammed Zakir, residents of Hyderabad, Mohammed Haneef alias Dr Haneef, native of Ahmedabad, and Izhar Khan, native of Uttar Pradesh - had been shot dead by police on April 7 when they allegedly tried to escape from a police van near Tangutur under Alair police station limits in Nalgonda district, while being taken to a court in Hyderabad.

PTI