Telangana High Court refuses to quash FIR against MLA’s son

The petitioners contended that the accusations were baseless and argued for quashing the FIR registered against Bodhan MLA Shakeel, Asif, and others.

Hyderabad: Justice K. Lakshman of the Telangana High Court  dismissed a batch of criminal petitions filed by former Bodhan MLA Amir Shakeel and two others, while refusing to quash the First Information Report (FIR) registered against them in connection with a hit-and-run incident near Praja Bhavan in Hyderabad.

The case was abouit a a road accident that occurred in the early hours of December 23, 2023, when a BMW car allegedly driven by Shakeel’s son, Sahil, crashed into traffic barricades near Praja Bhavan. During investigation, the police uncovered evidence suggesting an alleged attempt to mislead the investigation by substituting another person, Abdul Asif, in place of Sahil as the driver.

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The petitioners contended that the accusations were baseless and argued for quashing the FIR registered against Shakeel, Asif, and others. However, opposing the plea, Additional Public Prosecutor Shalini Mishra submitted that there was substantial material, including CCTV footage, showing Sahil at the wheel during the crash and evidence indicating that steps were taken to protect him from prosecution.

She further informed the Court that Sahil had since fled abroad and was evading identification procedures, while the authorities had initiated appropriate legal steps in the matter. It was also brought to the Court’s notice that certain police officials were being investigated for their alleged role in the attempted cover-up. Taking note of the submissions and the material available, Justice Lakshman declined to interfere with the investigation and held that the petitioners must face trial. The petitions were accordingly dismissed.