The Shoaib Malik marriage controversy is getting murkier. The Hyderabad police have decided to get the nikahnama verified by the Forensics Science Laboratory in Hyderabad, as the Pakistan cricketer has alleged that his signature on it is forged.
An officer in the Hyderabad police department told rediff.com that the matter will now be probed by the special wing of the Hyderabad police, known as the Central Crime Station.
"We are verifying all the claims; there is a lot of confusion that has been caused due to contradictory statements by both Ayesha and Malik himself," he said.
Earlier, the police visited the Taj Krishna hotel, in which Ayesha claimed she stayed with Malik.
"We have done our investigations there and have asked a couple of people few questions. We are working on it and in due course we will make the information available.
"We have also spoken to both the parties involved in the case and advised Malik not to leave the country until the investigation is complete," the officer said.
However, the police face legal hassles. Malik's nationality is causing a problem.
"We are working out the modalities and trying to find out how exactly to proceed. He is not an Indian citizen and hence the procedures are slightly different. We are in consultations on this issue," the officer added.
The police are waiting for the completion of a scheduled press conference of tennis Sania Mirza, who will wed Malik on April 15.
"We are waiting to listen to her statements; this will help us go ahead with the case."
Meanwhile, attempts are underway to bring about a compromise between the warring factions. Sports personality Chamundeshwari Nath met both parties separately and urged them to sort out the differences and put an end to the matter. Nath was, however, not available for comment, but sources said not much should be expected from the talks.
The police, meanwhile, say the report of the forensics department will help them a great deal. If it is found that the signature of Malik is forged, as is claimed by the Pakistan cricketer, then the case against him will fall immediately.
However, if his claims are contradictory then he is in for trouble.
Leaders of the Muslim community are up in arms against the media for probing into the personal lives of people. Scholars from Hyderabad say that if the marriage has taken place over telephone, without any witnesses, it is not valid. They say if Ayehsa is speaking the truth, then Malik should accept it and go ahead and give her a divorce.
A member of the Muslim Personal Law board, when asked for comment on the issue, bluntly asked, "Isn't it wrong to probe into the personal lives of people? There is no bar in Islam for a man to get married for the second time. Polygamy is not an offence. This is not a matter of concern for the MPLB. How many of us know the truth? I think all of you are exaggerating matters and it is better that you leave them alone. The claims by Ayesha can be verified by the authorities concerned; it is not your job," he added.
