Rasheed used to run a travel agency in the city and is alleged to be main conduit for arranging passports in the Babubhai Katara case.
HYDERABAD: The alleged kingpin in the human trafficking racket Rasheed surrendered to the police on Thursday.
Rasheed, who runs a travel agency in the city, gave himself up before the Central Crime Station (CCS), police said.
The surrender came in the midst of reports suggesting that he was a conduit for arranging fake passports and had played a key role in the scam.
Before being taken away by police for interrogation, Rasheed claimed that he had no role in human trafficking and alleged that he was being dragged into the case as part of a conspiracy.
"I am innocent. I have absolutely nothing to do with this case," Rasheed told waiting newsmen before being whisked away by the police.
Ever since human trafficking scam came to light with the arrest of BJP MP Babubhai Katara at Delhi international airport, reports have been doing rounds suggesting that Rasheed was a crucial player in forging passports and that he had contacts with several politicians.
With his surrender, the police hope to unearth the racket and investigate the alleged role of some of the politicians from Andhra Pradesh in the scandal.
The trafficking scam has already set off political tremors in Telangana Rashtra Samithi, leading to suspension of its senior MP and second-in-command A Narendra following his alleged involvement.
Narendra had hit back at the party supremo and MP K Chandrasekhar Rao accusing him of sending people abroad illegally using fake passports and forged documents.
A rebel TRS MLA K Lingaiah is in police custody, facing charge that he had obtained passport for a woman from Gujarat in the name of his wife.
The police is also on the look-out for another TRS MLA from Adilabad district S Bapurao in the wake of reports suggesting his role in the fake passport scam.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}