Shoaib and Sania face fresh trouble

HYDERABAD - A day after getting back his passport, Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and his wife Indian tennis star Sania Mirza Wednesday faced fresh trouble with a city court asking police to look into the complaint that they hurt religious sentiments of Muslims.

A Muslim organisation has complained that Shoaib, Sania, Shoaib’s fist wife Ayesha Siddiqui and 11 others hurt the sentiments of Muslims on the issue of divorce.

The IIIrd additional chief metropolitan magistrate referred the complaint to Banjara Hills police station for investigation and directed the police to submit the report by May 26.

Moullim Mohsin Bin Hussain Al-Kasary, president of Mazlumeen-e-Ummatay Mohammediya organisation, has also named former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin, Sania’s father Imran Mirza and two ‘Qazis’ in his complaint.

He said these persons hurt the religious sentiments on the issue of Shoaib’s divorce to Ayesha. He pointed out that the Pakistani cricketer did not officially divorce Ayesha.

“Shoaib had initially claimed that he did not marry Ayesha but later sent divorce papers to her under a compromise reached with the help of other accused. There was no official divorce, but the accused declared that divorce proceedings are over, thus insulting religious feelings of Muslims,” Al-Kasary alleged.

The complainant said two ‘Qazis’, appointed by the government, misused their official position and played with the sentiments of Muslims through registered divorce. He also pointed out that the divorce papers carried false name of Shoaib’s father.

The complainant argued that the acts of the accused constitute an offence under section 295 (A) of the Indian Penal Code.

If the police register a case against Shoaib and Sania, this could further delay their departure to Pakistan to attend ‘valima’ reception to be hosted by Shoaib later this week.

Shoaib, whose passport was seized by police April 5 after his first wife filed a cheating case, got the travel document back Tuesday following an order by the high court.

Ayesha withdrew her complaint against Shoaib after he divorced her April 7 under an agreement reached with the help of Sania’s family members and some community elders.

The former Pakistani skipper married Sania April 12.