HC tells govt to expedite decision on passport of Dawood's kin

The Bombay High Court today asked the passport authorities to expedite their decision on allowing Iqbal Kaskar, brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, and his family to travel abroad.

The Kaskar family had moved the court seeking removal of an 'observation' on their passports that restricts their travel abroad. The ministry of external affairs had made the observation that passports are "valid to travel between the UAE and India only".

As a result, the family, currently settled in Dubai, cannot visit other countries. Iqbal's counsel pleaded that his client wished to go on Haj pilgrimage and the last day for applying visa was Monday. Unless the observation was removed he could not apply, he told the court.

A bench headed by justice JN Patel observed that in such a case he could go on Haj next year. The bench asked the passport authorities to expedite the process and posted the matter for further hearing after six weeks.

The petition was filed by Iqbal (45), his wife Rizwana, daughters Hafsa and Kaniz Fatima and sons Mohammed Rizwan, Aiman Iqbal Hasan and Mohammed Aaban. The petitioners contended that when they had sought removal of the restriction, the MEA told them that they should seek an order to that effect from the court.

Iqbal was deported from Dubai in 2003 and tried under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in a case of alleged nexus of builders with the underworld. He was later discharged by the court. Iqbal was also acquitted in a case of murder.