<p>Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are investigating a case of a passport control official who allegedly held back an Indian man's passport because he did not like the latter's moustache.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Sujeev Kumar, a software engineer from Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala, arrived at Sharjah International Airport last Friday.<br /><br />He said that the passport control officer told him he would return the passport if he shaved off his moustache, the Gulf News reported.<br /><br />Abdullah Bin Sahoo, director-general of Sharjah Department of Naturalisation and Foreign Affairs, said CCTV images would be studied to check whether the passenger's allegations were correct and action would then be taken.<br /><br />Kumar claimed that the officer stamped his passport but did not return it.<br /><br />"After stamping my passport, he kept looking at me and the picture in the passpo<br />rt. He asked me how I keep my moustache brushed and laughed," Kumar was quoted as saying.<br /><br />Kumar said he did not understand the comments as the officer, who was an Arab, was speaking in Urdu.<br /><br />"He finally told me: 'If you agree to shave off your moustache, I will let you go' and kept my passport with him," said Kumar.<br /><br />Taking even that as a joke, Kumar again asked for his passport but was surprised when he was ignored.<br /><br />"I started arguing with him and only after asking to speak to his superior officer he returned my passport and allowed me to proceed," he said.</p>
<p>Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are investigating a case of a passport control official who allegedly held back an Indian man's passport because he did not like the latter's moustache.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Sujeev Kumar, a software engineer from Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala, arrived at Sharjah International Airport last Friday.<br /><br />He said that the passport control officer told him he would return the passport if he shaved off his moustache, the Gulf News reported.<br /><br />Abdullah Bin Sahoo, director-general of Sharjah Department of Naturalisation and Foreign Affairs, said CCTV images would be studied to check whether the passenger's allegations were correct and action would then be taken.<br /><br />Kumar claimed that the officer stamped his passport but did not return it.<br /><br />"After stamping my passport, he kept looking at me and the picture in the passpo<br />rt. He asked me how I keep my moustache brushed and laughed," Kumar was quoted as saying.<br /><br />Kumar said he did not understand the comments as the officer, who was an Arab, was speaking in Urdu.<br /><br />"He finally told me: 'If you agree to shave off your moustache, I will let you go' and kept my passport with him," said Kumar.<br /><br />Taking even that as a joke, Kumar again asked for his passport but was surprised when he was ignored.<br /><br />"I started arguing with him and only after asking to speak to his superior officer he returned my passport and allowed me to proceed," he said.</p>