HC: Return Shoaib’s passport

The AP High Court on Monday directed the thirteenth additional chief metropolitan magistrate in Nampally, Hyderabad, to immediately release and return the passport of Shoaib Malik, the Pakistani cricketer who is awaiting closure of the case registered by the city police.

Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy passed the orders after the Advocate-General, Mr D.V. Seetharama Murthy, and the senior counsel, Mr T. Bal Reddy, who had appeared on behalf of Ms Ayesha Siddique — the divorced wife of Shoaib Malik — did not oppose the return of the passport.
Mr Murthy told the court that the Hyderabad Central Crime Station authorities had filed a final report before the magistrate after Ms Siddique submitted an application to withdraw her case against Shoaib

Malik. Mr C. Padmanabha Reddy, senior counsel appearing for the cricketer, submitted that the closure of the case in pursuance of the final report by the magistrate would take time and that the petitioner was required to leave for Pakistan in connection with post-marriage ceremonies.

He urged the court to direct the magistrate to release the passport and hand it over to Mr Javed Razak, the counsel appearing for Shoaib at a lower court. The judge directed that the lower court hand over Shoaib’s passport to Mr Razak and disposed of the petition.