Author: Shyamlal Yadav
Publication: India Today
Date: June 6, 2011
URL: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/rti-government-refuses-to-part-with-information-on-dawood-ibrahim/1/139523.html
Introduction: The Government refused to part
with information regarding the don's whereabouts and says it is exempt under
RTI
In September 2008, India Today sent out RTI
queries to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) asking for details of the whereabouts
of Dawood Ibrahim and efforts made by the UPA government to have him extradited.
In response, various departments began passing the buck.
First, the PMO and MEA forwarded the application
to the MHA. The twelfth response from the MHA pointed to the CBI's Interpol
wing. The CBI forwarded the application to its special task forces (STF) in
Mumbai and Delhi and its Interpol wing. On November 3, the Interpol wing's
dig, Neerja Gotru, replied that "CBI conducts only investigation of cases
assigned to it". There were no other details. The Government's stand
is that Dawood is in Pakistan.
But a response dated November 21, 2008 from
a director in the MHA says that "the information cannot be given as it
is based on the inputs from agencies which are exempt under RTI" (meaning
the Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing). The same letter adds
that the issue of fugitives is regularly taken up during home secretary-level
talks with Pakistan.
While the MHA said the don's whereabouts were
exempt under RTI, the MEA forwarded the application to nine officials. On
November 28, 2008, the MEA responded that "it is believed Dawood is in
Pakistan". It did not list the efforts made to bring him back but said
"extradition of absconders…has been taken up with
Pakistan". Another reply from the MEA (dated January 15, 2009) listed
seven occasions when extradition was raised between 2004 and 2008.
