Police question Shoaib Malik, seize his passport

Hyderabad, Apr 5 (PTI) Police Monday seized the passport
of Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik as they questioned him in
the wake of a complaint of cheating lodged by the father of a
local girl Ayesha Siddiqui claiming that she was married to
him.
But 28-year-old Shoaib told a police team this morning
at the Jubilee Hills residence of 23-year-old tennis star
Sania Mirza that he had been tricked into marriage with
Ayesha.
"The city police have questioned Shoaib Malik for
one-and-a-half hours and they have also seized his passport.
Immigration authorities have been informed about the case
filed against Malik and his passport seizure," Additional
Commissioner of Police (Coordination) Dwarka Tirumala Rao
said.
Rao said, "As part of the investigation, a police team
visited Sania's residence today. We are probing the matter."
In fresh trouble for the Pakistani cricketer, the team
reached this morning the posh Jubilee Hill residence of Sania
where Shoaib has been staying since his arrival here on
Saturday following a complaint lodged by the father of Ayesha,
Mohammed Siddiqui yesterday at the Banjara Hill police
station.
Sania and Shoaib are scheduled to get married here on
April 15.
"We are trying to collect evidence. Shoaib is
cooperating and Sania is supporting him. They say they know
the truth behind the whole issue," a police official said
after the team talked to the cricketer.
During questioning, Shoaib told the police that he had
been "cheated" by the Siddiqui family and tricked into
marriage, he said.
The Pakistani cricketer had yesterday claimed that he
was emotionally forced into the 'nikahnama' with the Hyderabad
girl but said the marriage was invalid as her family had
cheated him and ruled out divorce.
He said to this day he has not met the girl whose
photographs were sent to him by the Siddiqui family purported
to be that of Ayesha.
The charges against Shoaib are that of harassment of
Ayesha, cheating to marry another girl and criminal
intimidation including threats to her to keep quiet, according
to Hyderabad Police Commissioner A K Khan.
Ayesha's father in his complaint, which was lodged
hours after Shoaib yesterday confirmed his marriage with
Sania, had accused the Pakistani cricketer of cheating his
daughter.
The Banjara Hills police said that a case under
Sections 420 (cheating), 498-A (dowry harassment) and 506
(criminal intimidation) of IPC has been registered against
Shoaib and they will take up the investigation after verifying
facts of the complaint.
Khan said an FIR has been made out and it would be
followed by collection of evidence and taking legal advice
since Shoaib is a Pakistani national.
"The Banjara Hills police have received a complaint by
Ayesha Siddiqui against Shoaib Malik. We have registered a
case against Shoaib. Now we will take legal opinion quickly
before taking further action," Rao had said.
He said there were some legal complications involved
in the case and they "will have to examine whether a foreigner
committing an offence on a foreign soil comes under the
purview of IPC or not".
"The legal opinion will be taken quickly and we will
proceed further as the marriage is on April 15," he added. PTI
VVK
PRS