Delhi’s fresh plea for Anup Chetia extradition

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Saturday, 04 February 2012

Author / Source : Staff Reporter

DHAKA, FEB 3:  India has made a renewed demand to Bangladesh to hand over ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia. He is under 'protective custody' as per the instruction of a Bangladesh court since 2005, said a report published in the Indian English daily Times of India on Thursday.
The demand for handing over Anup Chetia was made at a meeting between officers of the foreign ministries of India and Bangladesh in Dhaka past week, The Times of India  report said adding, “The aim of the meeting was to lay the ground for preparing a working paper on the bilateral extradition treaty between the two countries, which India had proposed in November.”
"While India asked for Chetia, Bangladesh demanded the extradition of Risaldar Moslehuddin, the convicted killer of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.. He is on the run and Bangladesh believes he is hiding in India," the report said.
As an outcome of the meeting, Dhaka agreed in principle to hand over Chetia to New Delhi. India, too, on its part, issued a Red Corner Notice for the fugitive killer of Mujibur Rahman, the report said.
The two countries had signed the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in January 2010 under which a prisoner of one country convicted in the other country can be exchanged provided he /she desires to complete the rest of his jail term in his home country.
Anup Chetia has already completed his jail term, and is under the 'safe custody' of the Bangladesh government. He sought political asylum in a third country through the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the report said.
It is the absence of an extradition treaty that puts both countries on a sticky wicket while seeking 'wanted' persons. Indian security experts point out that for Chetia's extradition, India has to fight a long-drawn legal battle in Bangladesh.
Chetia, who was first arrested in Bangladesh along with two other members of ULFA on December 21, 1997 for illegally carrying foreign currency and a satellite phone, completed his jail term in January, 2005, the report said. While serving his jail term, he applied for political asylum, a plea which the Bangladesh government summarily rejected.
A human rights' body later challenged the government's decision and a Bangladesh court issued a ruling to the government in 2003 asking why Anup Chetia should not be given asylum, the report said.
The case is pending in the court. However, on the court's order, Chetia was allowed to stay in jail for security reasons till his appeal for political asylum could be disposed of. Anup Chetia is currently lodged in the high-security Rajshahi central jail in Bangladesh, the report said.