Hyderabad police lodge case against Taslima Nasreen

Hyderabad City Police have booked a case against controversial Bangladesh writer Taslima Nasreen for hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims. The Police have also sought the clearance from a court to file a case against Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen floor leader in Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi for allegedly holding out threats to Taslima Nasreen if she visits Hyderabad again.

On Thursday, the city police had arrested three MIM legislators for their bid to attack Taslima Nasreen when she was in the city to release a Telugu translation of her controversial novel "Shodh." 

After the unsavoury incident, the police escorted Taslima Nasreen to the Hyderabad airport from where she took the flight to Kolkata.

The police had booked a case against MIM MLAs and other activists under sections 147 and 18 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 427 (mischief causing damage to property), 452 (trespass after preparation for hurt, assault and wrongful restraint), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code read with section 149 of Criminal Procedure Code. Sections 147, 148 and 506 of IPC are non-bailable offences.

On the same day, MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi had filed a complaint against Taslima Nasreen, alleging that she had hurt the sentiments of Muslim community with her writings and speeches against Islam, including Holy Prophet Mohammed.

Based on his complaint, the City Police booked a case against Taslima Nasreen under section 153 (A) of IPC for "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony." The case is under investigation.

The City Police have also moved a city court for permission to file a criminal case against Akbaruddin Owaisi under section 506 (criminal intimidation) for making provocative statements to the media threatening Taslima Nasreen with "dire consequences" if she dared to visit Hyderabad again. The case is likely to be registered formally on Monday.

Akbaruddin Owaisi, who is in the eye of a storm after the TV news channels claimed that he held out threats to kill or behead Taslima Nasreen if she came to Hyderabad again, told rediff.com, "I never said that we will kill her or behead her. This is all distortion. What I said is that there is a 'fatwa' against her. It is the responsibility of Muslims to abide by the fatwa and being a Muslim I will also abide by the fatwa."

Asked about the case likely to be filed against him by city police for holding out threats to Taslima, he said, "I am not worried. I love my religion, the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet so much that if I have to sacrifice my life, my wealth, my family and my children, I will happily do that. I can give up everything for the love of my religion."