Rahul’s rival Tushar held in UAE for fraud

BDJS national president Tushar Vellapally, an ally of the NDA ruling India, who was arrested in Ajman, UAE, over a cheque-bounce case on Wednesday, was released on Thursday on a bail of one lakh dirhams (`19 crore) provided by industrialist M.A. Yousuf Ali.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union home minister Amit Shah and many BJP leaders had intervened to secure his release after he was held from a hotel in Dubai where he had

gone on Tuesday.

Tushar’s passport has been surrendered before the Ajman police which has banned him from travelling back to India. He will appear before the investigating officials again on Sunday.

The cheque-bouncing incident happened over a decade ago when Tushar had a business contract with the complainant in the Ajman emirate. His business was shut down later.

Tushar had gone to Dubai to meet a few people and was planning to return on Friday. He said that he received a phone call enquiring whether he was interested to sell his property in Dubai.

“Initially I told him that I was not interested. But when he offered a huge amount, I said I will consider it and asked the caller to come and meet me at Hotel Crowne Plaza at Sheikh Zayed road, where I was staying. But to my surprise, two CIDs came to my hotel and arrested me,” said Tushar.

He asked them why they were arresting him as he does not own a company in the UAE. Only when he reached the court, he realised the motive behind the arrest.

Tushar had owned a company in Dubai 12 years ago and its licence has not been renewed for over a decade. He claimed that an old cheque which is no longer accepted by the bank had either been stolen or taken through other means and then his signature was forged.