‘Threatening DDA officials’ : Ex-MLA Asif Mohammad acquitted of charges

New Delhi: A Delhi court has acquitted former Congress MLA Asif Mohammad in a case of criminally intimidating and wrongfully preventing DDA officials from carrying out official work related to demolition in 2007.

Additional Sessions Judge Suresh Kumar Gupta granted relief to the politician while setting aside a judgement of a magisterial court which had awarded him a 15-day jail term with a fine of Rs 1,000 on January 6.

The court accepted the submissions made by Asif Mohammad's lawyer Tanveer Ahmad Khan, who said that there was lack of evidence against his client.

"There is no evidence on record to show that appellant or the crowd at the instance of the appellant has wrongfully restrained PW6 (DDA officer) or any other official accompanying him.

"The appellant has been acquitted for the offence under section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506 (II) (threat to cause death or grievous hurt) of IPC," the court said.

According to the complaint, the accused, along with others, had allegedly prevented the officials of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) from carrying out their official duty in regard to demolition, had threatened them and abused them in October 2007. Asif Mohammad had denied the allegations.