India to prepare Haneef dossier for Canberra
India will formally extend legal assistance to Australia to investigate the role of Mohammed Haneef.
By Nirmala Ganapathy & Bharti Jain, TNN |
NEW DELHI: India will formally extend legal assistance to Australia to investigate the role of Mohammed Haneef, an Indian doctor charged with ‘reckless support’ to terrorists behind the failed attacks in UK.
This follows the receipt of a letter rogatory from the Australian authorities requesting help from the relevant police agency here to verify the information provided by Haneef as well as his antecedents.
The MEA, sources told ET, had received the letter rogatory from Australia last week. It forwarded the same to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which then sent it to the CBI for examination. Once the CBI was satisfied, the request was routed back to the MHA, which was expected to forward it to the Karnataka government for action.
This essentially means that the Bangalore police, which has been keeping track of the developments and has already run an informal background check on Haneef, will now be formally preparing a dossier on Haneef and routing it through the diplomatic channels. The Australian authorities are believed to have sought a verification of the information provided by Haneef during his questioning.
Haneef was charged on Saturday with “intentionally providing his SIM card to a terrorist organisation under the relevant section of the Australian Criminal Code”. In July 2006, Haneef had reportedly given the SIM card to UK terror suspect Sabeel Ahmed. Haneef has told the Australian Federal Police that on July 2 he had a five-minute telephonic conversation with his father-in-law who had made the flight arrangements for his travel from Australia to India so that he could see his family.
He further told the Australian Federal Police that he checked his e-mail account and found that had been sent an e-ticket from a travel agency that he could not remember. He also told the police that there was no particular reason for booking a one-way ticket and that he intended to return to Australia within 7 days.
Two weeks ago, the Australian Federal Police had sent one of its officers to India to liase with authorities in Bangalore for verification of this information. The officer who went to the CBI for help was told to come through the proper channel. The Australian government had then sent an LR through diplomatic channels.
Information of this nature is usually exchanged through a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, and India does not have such a treaty with Australia. However, sources said that there are other conventions to which India and Australia are signatories and information can be exchanged through these conventions. This matter was examined by the CBI. India has anyway told Australia that all possible help would be provided, but through the proper channel.
This follows the receipt of a letter rogatory from the Australian authorities requesting help from the relevant police agency here to verify the information provided by Haneef as well as his antecedents.
The MEA, sources told ET, had received the letter rogatory from Australia last week. It forwarded the same to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which then sent it to the CBI for examination. Once the CBI was satisfied, the request was routed back to the MHA, which was expected to forward it to the Karnataka government for action.
This essentially means that the Bangalore police, which has been keeping track of the developments and has already run an informal background check on Haneef, will now be formally preparing a dossier on Haneef and routing it through the diplomatic channels. The Australian authorities are believed to have sought a verification of the information provided by Haneef during his questioning.
Haneef was charged on Saturday with “intentionally providing his SIM card to a terrorist organisation under the relevant section of the Australian Criminal Code”. In July 2006, Haneef had reportedly given the SIM card to UK terror suspect Sabeel Ahmed. Haneef has told the Australian Federal Police that on July 2 he had a five-minute telephonic conversation with his father-in-law who had made the flight arrangements for his travel from Australia to India so that he could see his family.
He further told the Australian Federal Police that he checked his e-mail account and found that had been sent an e-ticket from a travel agency that he could not remember. He also told the police that there was no particular reason for booking a one-way ticket and that he intended to return to Australia within 7 days.
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Two weeks ago, the Australian Federal Police had sent one of its officers to India to liase with authorities in Bangalore for verification of this information. The officer who went to the CBI for help was told to come through the proper channel. The Australian government had then sent an LR through diplomatic channels.
Information of this nature is usually exchanged through a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, and India does not have such a treaty with Australia. However, sources said that there are other conventions to which India and Australia are signatories and information can be exchanged through these conventions. This matter was examined by the CBI. India has anyway told Australia that all possible help would be provided, but through the proper channel.
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