Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: As the security agencies await the verification of a Pakistani arrested in Chile, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on Wednesday asserted that India will initiate the extradition process with Chile once it is established that the man is Abdul Rauf, the key conspirator on the 1999 IC-814 hijacking.
The Chilean authorities have indicated that Rauf could be handed over to India saying that the government here should initiate the extradition process soon.
While talking to media persons, Krishna said, "Our intelligence agencies have deputed their representatives to go to that country and make an assessment whether it is the same person who is responsible for the hijacking. If it is so, then all necessary follow up action will be initiated."
An Indian team has already reached the Chilean capital Santiago to verify the identification of the man, which may be difficult as India does not have any fingerprints or photographs of the 1999 hijacking conspirator. The team is expected to return to India on April 19.
Krishna said that India had to be "first convinced that it is the same person".
"That is why we have deputed our man there so that they can come back and report to us. Depending on the report we get, we will take further action," he added.
The CBI has been looking for Abdul Rauf, who is the brother-in-law of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar, who was one of the three terrorists released by India in exchange for more than 150 hostages aboard the hijacked plane that was taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan.
The terrorists were exchanged after eight days of negotiations.
(With IANS inputs)
First Published: Wednesday, April 13, 2011, 23:34