Kaleem Qureshi’s anticipatory bail rejected; Habib granted bail

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

During a AIMIM campaign rally for municipal elections, there was an attempted attack on former MP Imtiaz Jaleel. The main suspect in the case, Kaleem Chhotu Qureshi, had his anticipatory bail petition rejected by District and Sessions Judge S.S. Gorwade. However, co-accused Habib Chhotu Qureshi was granted bail by the court.

What Happened?

On January 7, under the leadership of former MP Imtiaz Jaleel, AIMIM organized a campaign rally from Baijipura to Nawabpura. During this rally at Jinsi, Kaleem Qureshi, Habib Qureshi, and 40–50 other supporters disrupted the event, creating chaos with abusive language, slogans, and an attempt to attack Imtiaz Jaleel. The mob allegedly used vehicle damage, stone-pelting, wooden sticks, and sharp weapons. A case was registered at Jinsi police station.

Both Kaleem and Habib had applied for anticipatory bail. In court, additional public prosecutor and government lawyer Raju Pahadia argued that the accused were actively involved in a serious crime, could intimidate witnesses, and had created fear in society. He also noted that the investigation was ongoing and that the suspects absconding could hamper the probe. Considering these factors, the court rejected Kaleem Qureshi’s anticipatory bail but granted bail to Habib Qureshi after assessing his role and circumstances.