NEW DELHI – The Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) has initiatedthe process for securing an Interpol Red Corner notice against Pakistanidiplomat Amir Zubair Siddiqui, who was chargesheeted last week forallegedly conspiring to launch terror strikes in India.
Officials in the agency said the paperwork was being completed and would besent soon to the Interpol headquarters based in Lyon in France for issuanceof the Red Corner notice against Siddiqui, who during his stint atPakistani High Commission in Sri Lanka during 2014 had conspired to carryout terror strikes in India.
He was named by a Sri Lankan resident Sakir Hussain, who is at presentundergoing a simple imprisonment after pleading guilty in a court of law.He was arrested by the Tamil Nadu Police after the Intelligence Bureaubusted the conspiracy in April 2014. His jail term will end next year.
Hussain had carried out reconnaissance of the US consulate in Chennai andIsraeli consulate in Bangalore to facilitate a terror strike similar to26/11. For this, two terrorists were to be flown in from Maldives.
Siddiqui was working as visa counsellor at the Pakistan High Commission inColombo but had to be repatriated to Islamabad after India mounted pressureon Sri Lanka about his alleged activities targeting this country.
He was nailed after the NIA was handed over evidence by the US authorities.
The NIA, which has carried out the probe into the conspiracy meticulously,had sent a request under Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty to the US fordetails from service provider whose email was being used by Hussain tocommunicate to his handler in Sri Lanka.