The Hyderabad police have registered a case against a Hyderabad Member of Parliament for defying curfew orders, even as it arrested 165 people in connection with communal clashes that broke out in Old City area last week.
"A case has been registered against Hyderabad MP and MIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi and seven others for staging a protest in front of the Charminar police station on Sunday by defying curfew orders," Additional Commissioner of Police (Coordination) Dwarka Thirumala Rao said.
"During the communal violence between March 27 and March 31, a total of 152 cases were registered, 165 persons arrested and sent to judicial remand while over 100 others were taken into preventive custody and later let off," ACP (Crimes) K Narasimha Reddy told reporters on Sunday night.
Two persons were killed and over 90 others injured in the communal clashes that witnessed arson, attacks, and stabbing, heavy stone pelting and burning of vehicles in several localities of the Old City. Following the clashes, the police had imposed an indefinite curfew in 17 police station limits of South Zone from March 29 and eight police stations of West, Central and East zones from March 30.
However, with the overall situation in the riot-hit areas remaining peaceful during the last three days, the police have decided to relax the curfew in Old City for nine hours (from 8 am to 5 pm) on Tuesday, and based on the situation in the coming days, the decision on further relaxation of curfew will be taken, Reddy said.
Prohibitory orders will be in force in the Old City from 11 pm to 6 am, the police officer said.
"We don't have evidence about the involvement of outsiders in the communal clashes and the arrested accused so far are mostly youngsters," he said.
