By IANS
Hyderabad : A key accused in a human trafficking scandal, who was arrested at the Mumbai airport early Thursday and brought here, was remanded in judicial custody for two weeks by a city court.
Mohammed Shameemuddin alias Shakeel, who had been absconding for two months, was arrested by a team of the Hyderabad police at the Mumbai airport on his arrival from Malaysia.
Hyderabad police commissioner Balwinder Singh said Shakeel, a native of Nizamabad district of Andhra Pradesh, had escaped to Malaysia on May 1 after the arrest of Mohammed Mazharuddin alias Rasheed.
Shakeel was brought to Hyderabad and produced before the Nampally Criminal Court, which remanded him in judicial custody for two weeks.
The police commissioner said Shakeel was involved in a case relating to a passport racket registered against him at the Saifabad police station in 2003. He along with Rasheed and others used to obtain visas to foreign countries by submitting fake recommendation letters and other documents.
The police commissioner said Shakeel was also involved in a case of human trafficking registered at the Indira Gandhi International Airport police station, New Delhi. "Delhi Police have been informed about his arrest in order to take action at their end," he said.
The human trafficking scandal came to light after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Babubhai Katara was arrested at the Delhi airport on April 18 while trying to smuggle out a woman and boy on the diplomatic passports of his wife and son.
Two legislators of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) were also arrested two months ago in the case.