Hate speech: Owaisi's custodial interrogation begins

The Nizamabad police is on Friday interrogating Majlis-e-Ittehadul legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi, facing sedition charges for his alleged "hate speech" in December last year, police said.

Akbaruddin, who is in judicial remand and lodged at the Adilabad district jail, was brought to Nizamabad town on Friday morning and was being questioned by investigating officer at the Armed Reserve headquarters, they said.

A court in Nizamabad had earlier granted the police two-day custody of Akbaruddin (for February 1 and 2) to question him in connection with the December 8 speech delivered by him in Nizamabad town.

Akbaruddin, was suo-motu booked by Nirmal police in Adilabad and Nizamabad II Town police, besides by Osmania University police in Hyderabad and other parts of Andhra Pradesh for allegedly delivering provocative speeches against a particular community at Nizamabad and Nirmal in December last year.

Akbaruddin, MIM's floor leader in state Assembly, was arrested by Nirmal police from GandhiHospital in Hyderabad on January 8 and is lodged in Adilabad district jail after being sent to judicial remand from January 9.