MEA summons Australian envoy over Haneef

JYOTI MALHOTRA

New Delhi, July 14, 2007 : Even as Mohammed Haneef was charged in Brisbane today for providing ``reckless’’ support to a terrorist organization, Australian high commissioner to India John McCarthy met senior Indian diplomat Nalin Surie to brief him about the latest developments on the matter.

McCarthy is believed to have told Surie that Haneef was in possession of a mobile handphone which had been in ``reckless use’’ for providing support to a terrorist group.

He did not, however, expand upon the nature of this use nor did he name the terrorist group in question.

Australian police officials have however said in Brisbane that Haneef gave Kafeel Ahmed the use of his mobile sim card.

Sources said the Australian high commissioner was keen on giving this briefing to Indian diplomats, and confirmed that an Australian police official was in India these days seeking mutual legal assistance – diplomatic jargon for permission to track information – about Haneef, since both countries did not have a formal agreement that allowed for such exchange of information.

It is also beginning to seem that the Australians, more and more, believe that Haneef has ``something’’ to do with the Kafeel Ahmed-inspired bombing attempt in Glasgow.

They have been telling Indian officials that the fact Haneef had bought a one-way ticket out of Australia was quite ``suspicious.’’

Mccarthy’s meeting with Surie also seems like an attempt at some damage control. Surie, in fact, is believed to have raised the matter of the enormous gap in perception between Australian authorities and India, especially the manner in which the media here had understood the story.

He pointed out to McCarthy that the Indian media had completely misunderstood the Australian police’s decision not to prolong Haneef’s detention and thought he was going to be freed.

In fact, the opposite had happened and Haneef had now been charged by the police.

According to Australian law, Haneef will be in custody for 28 days, during which time charges would be pressed against him.

But when Surie asked McCarthy what would happen once the 28 days were over, and whether the Australian police would extent the time of custody, there was no answer.

ENDS