A senior immigration official who was posted at the IGI airport has come under fire for the deportment goof-up of the Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney.
Action to be taken against man who cleared Pak activist’s deportation to Dubai
NEW DELHI: A senior immigration official who was posted at the IGI airport has come under fire for the deportment goof-up of the Pakistani human rights activist Ansar Burney, government sources told DNA.
“The immigration official was asked to give a written explanation about his conduct and enough grounds have been found to take action,” said a senior government official.
The immigration wing of IGI airport is manned by officials from Delhi Police and the Intelligence Bureau. The senior official who is under the firing line, identified as LS Bist, is of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police from the IB. He gave the final go-ahead for the deportation of Burney on May 30.
Burney had landed at IGI airport and the immigration officials deported him back to Dubai because there was a look-out circular against him in the records. Burney was coming to New Delhi to attend a conference on terrorism.
In April, Burney had visited India and met Union home minister Shivraj Patil and foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon. Burney was instrumental in securing the release of Indian prisoner Kashmir Singh a few months back and is currently backing Sarabjit Singh’s clemency plea, who faces the death sentence in connection with a bomb blast case.
Burney’s deportation had the ministry of external affairs red-faced and its officials raised a storm over the issue. The MEA sought details from the ministry of home affairs about the look-out notice. The home ministry is the apex authority that issues and clears look-out circulars which come from different agencies including the state police and CBI. Senior officials refused to divulge the details of the agency that requested for opening of the LOC against the Burney.
Senior officials have also said that the LOC has now been revoked following instructions of the home ministry and all airports in the country have updated their data.
The decision to tick off a senior official has not gone down well with the immigration officials. “The LOC was active even when he arrived in April but at that time he came from the Wagah border and he was given permission from higher authorities. But on that night there was no instruction from anywhere,” argued an immigration official.
k_yogesh@dnaindia.net
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