Gujarat HC stays lower court order giving Wahab his passport

Justice MD Shah of the Gujarat high court has put a stay on the order of the city sessions court that allowed former gangster Abdul Wahab to get his passport to go on a month-long pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

The high court has also issued a notice to Abdul Wahab and posted the case for further hearing on June 9. 

As Wahab has three criminal cases lodged against him, two in Shahpur police station and one in Gaekwaad Haveli police station, his passport is in the custody of the passport officer.

Prior consent of the court is necessary if Wahab is to be given his passport. In all the three cases the court had agreed to return his passport after he sought permission to visit Mecca and Medina for a month. However, the state government challenged the order in the high court requesting that the order of the lower court be quashed as Wahab is facing three serious offences.

"It is also likely that he may not return once he heads for pilgrimage," the state government has argued. It should be noted that four month ago Wahab was granted passport by the city session court to go on Haj.

At that time it was believed that Wahab would not return and so the police had tried to detain him. But Wahab managed to give them the slip but returned as per the schedule granted to him by the court.