Hyderabad court returns Shoaib's passport

Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik on Tuesday got back his passport which was in possession of a local court for about a fortnight after a cheating case was registered against him by his now divorced wife Ayesha Siddiqui.

Shoaib's counsel Javed Razack handed over the passport and two booklets after the counsel moved an application before an additional chief metropolitan magistrate along with an order copy of the Andhra Pradesh High Court directing it to return the passport.

The magistrate initially sought Razack's identity proof and after submission of the same allowed the petition for issuance of the passport.

Shoaib Malik is now free to travel outside India or anywhere in India, Razack said.

The case against Shoaib will be closed in due process of time as it involves legal process, the counsel said, adding there was no need for his client to make in person appearance before the court for closure of the case.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court had on Monday ordered the release of the cricketer's passport in the wake of the Hyderabad police seeking closure of the cheating case filed against him by Ayesha.

The police had taken away the cricketer's passport on April 5 and asked him not to leave the country after the case was registered against him based on a complaint by Ayesha, whom he subsequently divorced after denying that he had married her.

After Shoaib divorced Ayesha, the Siddiquis submitted an application to the Central Crime Station (CCS) - a wing of the Hyderabad police which investigated the case - to withdraw the complaint.

Razack said "Shoaib is eagerly waiting to get back his passport and I will pass him the good news. I am on way to hand over the passport to Shoaib Malik".

The over ten-day drama and controversy surrounding Shoaib ended with his marriage to Indian Tennis star Sania Mirza here on April 12.

Shoaib had on Monday said that Sania and he will be leaving for Pakistan in another few days.