No rules violated in giving visa to Rana: Indian Consul General

WASHINGTON: Indian Consul General in Chicago Ashok Atri, embroiled in a controversy over visa issued to LeT operative Tahawwur Hussain Rana, has met External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and said that no rules had been violated in giving him the travel document as he had submitted all proper papers for the same.

Atri, who also met National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, explained that no wrong-doing had occurred on part of the Consulate as Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, appeared to be a bonafide normal traveller to India for business.

Rana was arrested along with Pakistani origin US national David C Headley by FBI for planning major terror attacks in India on behest of Lashkar-e-Toiba. As part of the plan, Rana had visited India several times on the visa issued by the Indian Consulate in Chicago.

The Consul General told Krishna and others that no exception had been made to give visa to Rana and that his office had routinely put the "discretionary" stamp on it.

Atri, the 1975-batch IFS officer, said as per an August 2005 circular of the Home Ministry, the Chicago Consulate was not required to send the visa applications of Pakistan-origin people to New Delhi and could process these in Chicago itself, the sources said.