Human trafficking scam: key accused brought to Delhi

Rasheed Ali, the key accused, was brought to Delhi on Friday for further questioning.

Rasheed Ali, the prime accused in the human trafficking scam involving Bharatiya Janata Party MP Babubhai Katara, was on Friday brought to the national capital for further questioning.

HT Image

"Rasheed was brought from Hyderabad in Rajdhani Express here at around 7.00 am. His presence was sought for further probe into the well-organised international human trafficking scam," said Deputy Commissioner of Police AS Cheema.

"We will present him before the Patiala House court later in the day and would seek his police custody for at least 10 days," Cheema told IANS.

According to Cheema, Rasheed was involved in arranging clients for Katara along with two other agents who were arrested in New Delhi in April.

Rasheed's name came up during investigations in the trafficking scandal, which came to light on April 18 with the arrest of Katara at the Delhi airport while he was trying to smuggle out a woman and a boy to Toronto on the passports of his wife and son.

Three Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MPs from Uttar Pradesh - Mitrasen Yadav (Faizabad), Ashok Rawat (Misrikh) and Mohammed Tahir Khan (Sultanpur) - and Ramswaroop Koli of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who represents Bayana in Rajasthan, have already been questioned in connection with the case.