Hyderabad, May 15: Was the MIM legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi carrying his licensed weapon at the time of attack on him in Barkas?
Police who carefully scanned through video footage of the attack do not rule out this possibility now. A frame of the video footage shows a black object, now believed to be a pistol, in the hand of Mr. Owaisi who fell to ground. In this frame, Mr. Owaisi’s face is blocked by Ibrahim Yafai, who is seen bending over him and attacking him with a knife.
The other reason why police believe Mr. Owaisi could be carrying a weapon at the time of attack is that the legislator has a license to carry a weapon. Police sources say he owns three weapons including a .22 pistol. A holster which would fit a pistol was recovered from the spot and the police believe that it belonged to Mr. Owaisi.
However, mysteriously the police did not find the pistol. There is some obscurity on this count as the police have not yet recorded the statement of Mr. Akbaruddin Owaisi who is recuperating in Care Hospital. Now the doubt being expressed is whether Mr. Owaisi shot Ibrahim Yafai, the assailant, who died of a bullet injury.
Hyderabad Central Crime Station sleuths are sceptical of this possibility. “We can not conclusively say whether Mr. Owaisi opened fire. Legally, he has a right to use the weapon in self-defence ,” say the investigators.
Police still believe Jani Mia, the gunman of MIM legislator Ahmed Bin Balala, shot Ibrahim Yafai with his 9 mm service pistol. The video footage suggested this and the gunman too admitted to have fired at him. Moreover, the bullet that hit Ibrahim Yafai exited from his body. Chances are more that a bullet fired from 9 mm pistol exits after hitting a person –post-mortem report said the bullet damaged two rib bones of Ibrahim Yafai. In the light of the fresh findings, the investigators are asking doctors to examine the photographs of the entry and exit wounds suffered by Ibrahim Yafai and ascertain if he was hit by a bullet fired from 9 mm pistol or .22 pistol.
http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/15/stories/2011051563370500.htm