Pressure should be exerted on country harbouring Dawood: CBI

NEW DELHI: Without naming Pakistan, CBI on Wednesday said the international community should exert pressure over the country 'harbouring' global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim so that he could be handed over to India to face trial.

CBI Director Vijay Shanker told reporters that the world community, which says it believes in peaceful co-existence, should exert pressure on the country 'where we all know he is' for handing over Dawood to India.

Shanker, who was flanked by Interpol Secretary General Ronald K Noble, was replying to a question about the efficacy of Interpol Red Corner notices when a global terrorist like Dawood could not be brought before the law.

The CBI Director said cooperation should not only be confined to dreaded criminals like Dawood but also to other such fugitives, who have been hiding in countries 'harbouring' them.

The Interpol Secretary General admitted that Red Corner Warrant was only to inform the member countries about wanted criminals.

"We can only say. It is for the judicial order of that country whether it wanted to comply with the warrant," Noble said.

The CBI Director favoured that 186-member countries of the Interpol make a move for giving legal sanctity to the Red Corner notices.

Asked whether the Red Corner notice against the alleged Bofors accused Ottavio Quattrocchi was in operation, Noble said 'the Interpol warrant is not withdrawn until asked by the requesting country.'

Shanker said it was on the basis of the Interpol Red Corner Notice that Quattrocchi had been detained in Malaysia and very recently in Argentina.

While there was no legal sanctity to the Red Corner Notice, it was still helpful in cornering an accused in view of an alert generated by the world police, he said.

On questions regarding cyber laws of India, Noble said it was a very well established fact that India was the leader in Information Technology and had tough cyber laws.

Earlier, welcoming delegates from 37 countries, the CBI Director advocated concerted efforts for capacity building and training of all those associated with the criminal justice system.

The Interpol Secretary General said it was the endeavour of the world police organisation to strengthen member states' ability to combat cyber crime.