AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and four others were acquitted on Thursday by Medak’s Sangareddy Court in the 2005 Muthangi Masjid demolition case.
Besides the Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad, four other state legislators of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) were acquitted.
According to reports, Owaisi and 21 others were booked under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 147 (rioting) and 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions).
In 2005, the then Congress government in undivided Andhra Pradesh was planning to demolish four mosques and one shrine for a highway widening project near Patancheru in Medak district.
While the rest of the structures were demolished peacefully, the demolition of a mosque at Muthangi was opposed by locals, who were reportedly backed by the AIMIM.
This led to a riot-like situation, following which the case was registered.
Asaduddin Owaisi, his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi, Ahmed Pasha Khadri, Mumtaz Ahmed Khan and Muazzam Khan were booked by the police on March 16, 2005, for obstructing officials.
Asaduddin Owaisi had surrendered before court on January 21, 2013, and was sent to jail after the court dismissed his petition for cancellation of the non-bailable warrant pending against him.
The AIMIM chief was later granted bail in the case.
Meanwhile, reacting to Thursday's court order, Asaduddin asked if the Congress party, which was in power in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh, would apologise for booking the false case.
He tweeted that the mosque was demolished without following due process of law.
Will Congi leaders have courtesy to apologise they where in power 2005 false case reg,they allowed masjid demolition w/o due process of law https://t.co/XG0SANECYH
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) December 29, 2016
Local Court Pronounced Judgement, Acquitted Barrister @asadowaisi and four Legislators of AIMIM in 2005 Muthangi Masjid Demolition case pic.twitter.com/beqYT6c2iE
— Tauseef Mohammed (@Tauseef8287) December 29, 2016
IANS inputs