Attack on Owaisi in UP: SC quashes HC order granting bail to two accused

HYDERABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday cancelled bail to two men who had opened fire on the car in which AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi was travelling in Uttar Pradesh on February 3.

Three men had opened fire at Owaisi’s car in Hapur while he was on his way to Delhi from Meerut after campaigning for his party in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

The three men – Sachin Sharma, Aalim, and Shubham Gurjar – were granted bail by the Allahabad High Court. A challenge petition filed earlier against Aalim’s bail was dismissed by the Supreme Court in September as the charges related to supplying a foreign made pistol six months prior to the actual incident, according to news agencies.

On Friday, the Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices M.R. Shah and M.M. Sundresh, hearing a petition filed by M.R. Shamshad on Owaisi’s behalf, set aside the High Court orders granting bail to Sachin Sharma and Shubham Gurjar and directed the accused to surrender before the jail authorities within a week.

The bench said it could not see any reason to grant bail to the accused. Neither prima facie material nor chargesheet had been considered. “Considering seriousness of offences, impugned judgement granting bail to the accused is quashed and set aside.  Matter to be remitted back to the High Court on remand within four weeks from the date of surrender of the accused,” the apex court said.