Crackdown On Child Marriages Continues: Police Arrest Chief Qazi 

Hyderabad: The city police on Monday arrested chief Qazi Ali Abdullah Rifai alias Volta Rifai for performing the marriages of minor girls with Arabh sheikhs.

The arrest comes days after a major crackdown against an active sheikh marriage racket in the city, which saw cops arresting several foreign nationals. The Qazi who belongs to Talabkatta area in Moghalpura, became infamous for performing dubious nikah and was absconding since the South Zone police broke the clandestine network of brokers and Qazis last week. "We have finally succeeded in tracing him and he has been detained for interrogation," said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad (south zone), V Satyanarayana. He said the crackdown on the ring would continue till the menace ends.

In 2015, he was booked in a similar case for performing child marriages with elderly Arab nationals. The Qazi had earlier obtained stay from court against State Minorities Department and was continuing to perform marriages. So far, the police have arrested 20 people, including five Omani nationals, three Qatar national, three Qazis, chief qazi of Mumbai Farid Ahmed Khan, several local brokers including women and four lodge owners.