NEW DELHI: The Government is in a quandary over intelligence report that some of those wanted for interrogation in connection with the bomb blasts in Bombay may have fled to Dubai,
The authorities in Dubai are un likely to cooperate with India cither in bringing them back or al lowing Indian officials to question them here, This is because of a longstanding row between India and Dubai over extraditing an Indian, who was accused of misappropriating about 28 million dirhams (Rs 25 crore) and fleeing the Gulf for his home in Kerala. According to intelligence sources here, Dubai has been providing shelter to the alleged leaders of Bombay’s underworld like Dawood Ibrahim and a number of people wanted for economic offences in India in a deliberate effort to spite New Delhi for its failure to send the Indian back to Dubai to stand trial. About half a dozen Kashmiri militant groups also have offices functioning openly in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and they operate large accounts in a bank run according to Islamic shana.
Dubai’s ruling family has since been extremely peeved with India’s failure to keep its word because Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid, defense minister of the UAE and younger brother of the ruler of Dubai, had flown down from London on hearing of the hijack and negotiated the safe re lease of passengers.
In returning, the hijackers to India, Shaikh Mohammed had to stand up to considerable pressure from Pakistan, which had offered to give them asylum. In order to accommodate India, the Sikh also broke his word to the hijackers that they would be given safe passage if they allowed the passengers to go free,
The authorities in Dubai are also understood to be fed up over what they see as the Indian government’s lack of consistency in dealing with the problem of Indians wanted here, When V.P.Singh was prime minister, South Block sent an envoy the present Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ishrat Aziz to Dubai request Dubai’s ruling family not allow Win Chadha to stay in Dubai after his passport had been ordered to be impounded.
The request was turned down, but when the government changed, there was more in store for the Dubai authorities. On a visit to Dubai, I.P.Khosla, then secretary (West) in the ministry of external affairs and currently ambassador to the Netherlands, told the Dubai government that India was no longer interested in laying its hands on Chadha. Soon after this message was communicated, Chadha was allowed to travel to London.
Senior intelligence officials here are of the view that no effort should be spared to enlist the cooperation of the Dubai government in the present crisis because of their belief that the trail of every major crime committed in Bombay now leads to Dubai.
They are also arguing that political involvement in this effort will make it difficult for Dubai to turn down pleas for cooperation in view of the worldwide publicity attached to the outrage in Bombay on Friday.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 19, 1993
