Author: Our Political Bureau New Delhi
Publication: Economic Times
Dated: February 27, 2007
URL: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Delhi/Political_Theatre/CBI_announced_Q_capture_after_release_/articleshow/1694763.cms
Introduction: Opposition Set To Grill PM,
Session Likely To Be First Casualty
The Government seems to be deeper in trouble
over the detention of Italian middleman Ottavio Quattrocchi after news that
he secured bail from an Argentine court on February 23. After a newschannel
flashed reports about his release , CBI director Vijay Shanker issued a statement
claiming that the agency received news about the release of the Italian middleman
on Monday evening.
The government and the agency will have a
lot of explaining to do as Quattrocchi secured the bail on the day the CBI
issued a statement here informing about his detention at the Iguazu International
Airport. "A message has been received today at 7.43 pm from Interpol
Buenos Aires that Ottravio Quattrocchi has been released on bail by the federal
court of Eldorado City in the province of Misiones. However, he has been prohibited
from leaving Argentina. Interpol message also says that the extradition process
is ongoing , awaiting extradition request through the diplomatic channel."
That the CBI was in no hurry to file an appeal
for his extradition was clear when the agency head said that his team will
reach Argentina only on March 2. The agency has so far been saying that its
team would leave on February 28. The team will have just four days to pursue
the case.
Mr Shanker said that India`s ambassador Pramathesh
Rath held discussions on Monday with Argentinean foreign office in Buenos
Aires on Quattrocchi.
The episode is certain to snowball into a
bigger crisis for the Manmohan Singh government . Parliament's Tuesday session
will be the immediate casualty. The Opposition said that it will press for
an answer from the prime minister and the failure to provide a satisfactory
explanation would lead to stalling of proceedings.
There were signs of discomfort within the
alliance over the brazen manner in which the whole issue is being handled
by the government. The Left has already asked the government to come clean
on the issue and explain the delay in informing about the detention of the
Italian middleman.
In the event of an electoral defeat in Punjab
and Uttarakhand, the Opposition is sure to ratchet up its attack on the government.
As of now the 'we-should-fight-it-out sections within the government appear
to be deciding its response. But if the campaign gathers momentum, the Congress
would experience major political losses.
'There was, not is, treaty with Argentina'
The Government's claims that its hands are
tied over securing Ottavio Quattrocchi's custody since India does not have
an extradition treaty with Argentina is being contested by the Opposition,
reports Our Political Bureau from New Delhi. BJP leaders said the extradition
bill passed on August 17, 1961, had listed Argentina as a country with which
India has an extradition pact. The MEA contradicted this assertion of the
BJP leaders saying that the treaty was not in operation: "A question
has been raised about the existence of an extradition treaty between India
and Argentina . An extradition treaty of 1889 between the United Kingdom of
Great Britain & Ireland and the Argentine Republic was applicable to British
India. However, post Indian independence and following the enactment of The
Extradition Act, 1962, by the Indian Parliament, the treaty of 1889 is not
operative since it was not notified in accordance with Section 3, clause (3)
of the Act, after having obtained the consent of the Government of the Argentine
Republic. Thus India does not have any currently operative Extradition Treaty
with Argentina."