Author: Syed Amin Jafri
Publication: Rediff.com
Date: August 11, 2007
URL: http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/aug/11taslima.htm
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."