Hyderabad: A criminal court in Hyderabad yesterday convicted four accused in the attack on Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, while ten others, including the main accused Mohammad Bin Omar Yafai, alias Mohammad Pehelwan, were acquitted.
The convicts were sentenced to ten years rigorous imprisonment. A fine of Rs10,000 (Dh569) each was also imposed on them. As they have already served six years in jail, it will be adjusted against their ten years sentence.
Seventh Metropolitan Sessions judge pronounced the judgement yesterday amid tight security. The four convicted include Hassan Bin Omer Yafai, Abdullah Bin Younus Yafai, Awad Bin Younus Yafai and Saleh Dahlam.
The accused had made an attempt on the life of Owaisi in his constituency Chandrayanagutta on April 30, 2011 when he was on a visit to the area. While Owaisi was critically injured in the attack, one of the assailants Ebrahim Yafai had died in the firing by Owaisi’s security guard.
Owaisi had survived after a series of operations and several months of stay in hospital.
The Central Crime Station of Hyderabad police during its investigation of the case had recorded the statements of 85 witnesses and filed the charge-sheet.
The prosecution told the court that the MLA was attacked by the accused as he was opposing their attempts to grab government land in the area.
Initially the court had released all the 14 accused on bail, but later the bail of 8 accused, including Mohammad Pehelwan, was cancelled by the Supreme Court and they were sent back to jail.
Pehelwan was released yesterday after spending more than six years in jail.
