Hyderabad: A local court in Nampally on Thursday rejected the plea of an Indian-American, earlier arrested by Excise sleuths for allegedly possessing 33 grams of cocaine in 2025, seeking permission to return to the US and stay there for a year. The court cited his earlier violation of bail conditions. Excise sleuths also opposed the plea, claiming that he was a potential flight risk.Zubair Ali was arrested by Excise sleuths in 2025 along with two of his friends after they returned to Telangana from Bengaluru. On Sept 12, 2025, the court laid down four bail conditions, including that he should not leave India without prior permission from the court. Citing a family obligation, Zubair later obtained the court’s permission to travel to the US for three months. He was expected to appear before the court on July 6, 2026. However, during his stay in the US, he secured a job.“Instead of appearing before the II Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on July 6, 2026, as directed by this court, the petitioner filed another petition seeking to extend the permission granted to stay and continue in the United States of America until further orders on the pretext of employment,” the court order said.The court dismissed his petition on July 20, 2026, with a specific direction to Zubair to appear before it on Aug 2, 2026, failing which the surety bond would be forfeited. He subsequently returned to Hyderabad and appeared before the court in compliance with its order.A few days later, Zubair moved another petition seeking permission to visit the US for a year, citing employment and family obligations. Apart from observing that he had earlier violated the bail conditions, the court said, “The contents of the petition filed by the petitioner clearly go to show that the petitioner, under the garb of exercising his visiting rights to visit his children in the USA, had secured employment as a ruse to continue his stay for an indefinite period on the pretext of employment.”Considering the petitioner’s conduct, the court refused to allow him to return to the US.In the last week of Aug 2025, Excise sleuths nabbed Misbahuddin Khan, a resident of Ramkote, and Ali Asgar Gulabi and Zubair Ali, both residents of Banjara Hills. The trio had travelled to Bengaluru, where they met Azharuddin, who allegedly supplied them with drugs. After they returned to Hyderabad in a car belonging to Zubair, Excise officials caught them and allegedly seized 33 grams of cocaine from Zubair.Though it has been over a year, excise officials have not filed a charge sheet in the case, and investigators have been unable to trace Azharuddin. Though Zubair was born in the US and is a US citizen, he has lived in India for several years.
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