Hyderabad: Police goof up on bar brawl case

HYDERABAD: The Hussainialam police had botched up an investigation into a fight that broke out at an illegal bar in Pardiwada under the Hussainialam station’s jurisdiction on January 6, and a person was pushed from the first floor of a building after a brawl.

Imtiyaz Khan, a resident of Teegalkunta in the Old city, was in the bar with a friend at around 1 pm, when he was attacked after an argument with some other men present. Later, one of them reportedly pushed him from the first floor of the same building. An injured Khan was rushed to Osmania General Hospital by his friend where he is now recuperating. 

The illegal bar is run round the clock and is full of customers, sources in the special branch inform.

The police registered a case under Section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against one Waseem and others. 

“It was an attempt to kill my brother but the police invoked Section 324 of the IPC and despite clearly explaining the incident they did not probe it thoroughly,” said Rasheda Begum, sister of Imtiyaz. 

The police also registered a case under Section 323 of the IPC against Imtiyaz, though he was seriously injured after being attacked. “The police are trying to balance the case so that we end up in a compromise,” Rasheeda Begum said.

Lawyers point out that the police should examine the witnesses and then file a case. “It attracts Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC as there are serious injuries on the head. Secondly, the police should have registered a case and made the persons running the illegal bar also an accused,” pointed out Khaja Aejazuddin, a High Court lawyer.

But the police have recorded that the brawl took place on the streets of Pardiwada when one person was hosting a ‘dawaat’. Sub-inspector Raman Naidu said that two cases were registered based on complaints given by a Mr Asadullah, a relative of Imtiyaz, and another, on a complaint of Waseem. 

“Our enquiries revealed that the fight took place when two groups had come to attend a ‘dawaat’ hosted by a resident of Paridwada locality,” sub-inspector Naidu said. He said based on the medical reports, sections would be altered. He denied that any illegal bar was running in the locality.

However, when this correspondent visited the same place on Monday night, liquor was being served way past midnight. A few metres away, several belt shops are functioning and teenagers on spotting a motorist rush up to enquire if they need liquor. We saw a man dressed in white jeans and shirt bringing liquor bottles from a house and selling it to customers.

After the issue was brought to the notice of DCP (south) V Satyanarayana, he ordered an inquiry by ACP Charminar. “We will reinvestigate the case and initiate action if some discrepancies were reported,” he told Deccan Chronicle.