Thaindian News

Hyderabad, May 3 (IANS) Two people were arrested Tuesday for involvement in Saturday’s attack on Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi, police said. A total of seven people are under arrest in the case.

Police have identified Mohammed Pahelwan as the main accused and are on the lookout for four more people, while two others are undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Five people had surrendered to the Hyderabad police Monday.

Police Commissioner A.K. Khan told reporters here that the police had almost solved the case with the arrest of the accused and seizure of weapons used in the attack.

Stating that land dispute led to the attack, Khan said the legislator was opposing Pahelwan for allegedly encroaching on a government land in Balapur area.

Akbar was stabbed and shot by 10 to 11 assailants, all relatives of Pahelwan, at Barkas in his Chandrayangutta constituency Saturday (April 30).

One attacker was killed and two others were injured when a security guard of another MIM legislator, Ahmed Balala, opened retaliatory fire. Balala and an MIM corporator were injured in the attack.

The police commissioner said Abdullah Bin Younus Yafai fired at Akbar from his licensed revolver. Abdullah was injured in the firing by Balala’s security guard.

Akbaruddin, leader of the MIM in the state assembly, had no security guard as he had refused the security offer made by the police earlier.

The police chief said a sub-inspector and a constable were also present at the scene and a probe has been ordered as to why they failed to act.

Meanwhile, the condition of Akbar continues to be stable. According to doctors at Care Hospital, they have taken Akbar off the ventilator following improvement in his condition.