CBI does course correction following Purulia botch-up

Under fire for sending team to Denmark with an expired warrant to extradite key accused in arms drop case, agency renews document

CBI does course correction following Purulia botch-up

Under fire for sending team to Denmark with an expired warrant to extradite key accused in arms drop case, agency renews document

Under fire for carrying an expired arrest warrant to Denmark that botched up the extradition of Kim Davy, the main accused in the 1995 Purulia arms drop case, the CBI yesterday said its documents have been put "in order" now.

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BJP leader Sushma Swaraj and CPI(M) boss Prakash Karat lambasted the Centre for downplaying goof-ups of grave consequences, including the Purulia botch-up. The cache of arms which was airdroppedu00a0 in West Bengal to allegedly unsettle the Left government

Terming the goof-up as an "oversight", a CBI official said that the agency had sought revalidation of the warrant, which will be extended till August 20. The warrant that a CBI team took to a Danish court had expired in January.

The agency got the fresh warrant from the special CBI court and a scanned copy was sent immediately to the team in Copenhagen.

The original copy of the warrant has also been sent to Copenhagen for the court hearing in Denmark that resumed yesterday.

The CBI came in for strong criticism from opposition parties for botching up the extradition of Davy, accused of dropping a cache of arms in West Bengal's Purulia district from an aircraft on December 17, 1995.

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj slammed the government for the "big embarrassment".

"Here is another blunder. The CBI reached Copenhagen with an expired warrant for Kim Davy. (It is a ) big embarrassment for the country. Is anybody accountable in this government?" she asked on Twitter.

She added that "oversight" had become an "all time excuse" for the government, referring to the government's response to the goof-up in India's list of 50 most-wanted fugitives given to Pakistan and the controversial appointment of the Central Vigilance Commissioner, PJ Thomas. "They say expired warrant is an 'oversight'.

Oversight in CVC papers. Oversight in India's Most Wanted List. It is an all-time excuse."

Criticising the investigating agency, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said it has had a "lackadaisical approach" in seeking Davy's extradition. "The CBI must immediately change its lackadaisical approach.

They must correct it in the interest of the country. It is a very serious matter considering internal security," he added.

The CBI, Yechury said, "must ensure Davy's extradition in the interest of the country".

The government sent a two-member team a CBI officer and a lawyer to Denmark seeking Davy's extradition. The team left for Denmark on May 16. Davy had earlier alleged that Indian intelligence agencies had a role in the arms drop case.

In an interview to a TV news channel, Davy alleged that the then PV Narasimha Rao-led government had plotted the operation to destabilise the West Bengal government by arming locals in the Left-ruled state.

He claimed that India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), had planned the operation with the help of its British counterpart, MI-5.