Jailed wife cleared in visa dispute

11:15am Saturday 26th January 2008

A COUPLE whose dream holiday went wrong when a court ordered them to stay in India in a row over a visa are finally heading home.

Saba Shahzadi, aged 24, was yesterday acquitted of a charge of not carrying visa papers by a court in the city of Agra.

Pakistan-born Ms Shahzadi was arrested and was jailed on December 14 after being accused of illegally entering the Indian city, where her husband Arif Butt, aged 23, was taking her for a romantic trip to the Taj Mahal.

The couple, who live in Bromley Cross, were celebrating their first wedding anniversary.

Ms Shahzadi had mistakenly left her visa papers with officers when she reported to a police station on arrival in New Delhi, as people with Pakistani passports are required to do.

She spent three days behind bars before being given bail and was forced to remain in a New Delhi hotel until her case could be heard.

Last night, her solicitor, Arun Khurana, confirmed that she had been freed.

"She has been acquitted honourably and is extremely happy now," said Mr Khurana.

"Two witnesses were called by the prosecution. They were police officers and we cross-examined them before putting the necessary legal documents before the chief judicial magistrate who acquitted Ms Shahzadi."

The couple had spent a week in Dubai before flying to India on December 10, where they were due to spend another week before heading to Gujrat, Pakistan, to celebrate the festival of Eid with Ms Shahzadi's parents.

However, Ms Shahzadi's case was delayed when the first two hearings were cancelled,and then was interrupted by the Christmas holidays.

Mr Khurana, who was asked to defend Ms Shahzadi by the British Council, said he had been fortunate to arrange bail before Christmas.

"People can often be in jail for many months for the same sort of violation - so we were very fortunate. God has been very kind."

The couple planned to come straight home.