I am amused by India’s loudest TV anchor and a few of his ilk lionising Interpol as if it were a super investigating agency that can be ordered about by all and sundry to nab dreadful criminals. The fact is that the Lyon-based organisation is a paper tiger, a little more than a glamorous post office, which has been overrated by some ignoramuses.
Gullible TV viewers in India have been made to believe, during the past few days, that the government – both UPA and NDA – had been grievously slothful in not invoking Interpol’s assistance to bring Lalit Modi to book. The false story that has been planted in many minds is that, if only the government had wanted, Lalit Modi could have been brought back to India by the next available flight from wherever he was, and questioned, nay incarcerated, for all his alleged sins. Nothing can be farther from truth.
As one who headed Interpol in India, I believe I can speak with some authority.
What is Interpol?
Interpol is a voluntary group of nations (197) that facilitates international criminal investigation. It is no police force and has no legal authority of its own to investigate or detain crime suspects and question them. It is just a clearing house for information, where officials of member-nations share information on crime and criminals. A junior CBI officer sits in Lyon and takes care of our interests. He is paid for by the Indian government and follows up all our requests.
The Two Notices
In respect of criminal investigations the world over, Interpol issues two types of notices, the first of which is a ‘blue notice’, which conveys information regarding specific cases and brings on record details of a criminal investigation, and seeks additional information about the identity (wherever names are not known) of suspected persons and their location or activities in relation to that crime.
Next and more important are ‘red corner’ notices issued in respect of accused who are wanted in specific cases by any member and against whom a warrant is pending to be executed. The latter is very important because such a notice makes a specific request to other members to apprehend and detain any named person if found in any part of their country.
If found, the latter detains the accused concerned, swiftly informs the police agency of the country which needs him and then hands him over to the country where an investigation is pending, subject of course to a judicial approval to such action.
Media is Naive
In the Lalit Modi case, there are two imponderables. We do not know how much information has been collected by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till now. The latter cannot go to town with details. I am inclined to believe that they don’t have enough material to seek issuance of even a ‘blue notice’ at this stage, what to say of a ‘red corner’ notice.
When investigations are still in progress, it is unfortunate that pictures of Lalit Modi with former Interpol Secretary-General are floating around. I do not read too much into this. People in high places often find dubious individuals wanting to have pictures with them. It is difficult to ward off such characters unless you can manage to be excessively rude.
TV channels going gaga over this discovery of a relationship between Ronald Noble and Lalit Modi are utterly naïve if not mischievous. In any case, there is no evidence as yet that ED investigation has been compromised. Noble has left the Interpol and is no longer accountable. You cannot take everything Lalit Modi says as gospel truth.
A Difficult Catch
The allegation that the ED is going slow on the matter is unfair to say the least. Reasons for the tardy progress may or may not be because of influential people who are close to Lalit Modi. I would not like to conjecture. Even if ultimately ED marshals enough evidence against Lalit Modi and seeks his extradition, it will take several years before anything of significance takes place.
The case of Ravi Shankaran (holed up in London), former Indian Navy Lt Commander, who was involved in the War Room leak case at Naval Headquarters, is green in our memory. We are yet to secure him in spite of substantial evidence against him.
That he has not been extradited – a UK court actually quashed an extradition order issued by the British Home Secretary – is proof enough that the whole process is too muddied for a swift conclusion of proceedings.
It is, therefore, a moot question whether the UK will eventually agree to an extradition of an economic offender like Lalit Modi. The latter is certainly a clever operator and has many friends in high places. He is a tough nut to crack. To lambast the government for alleged soft pedalling of the investigation is being naïve. Interesting days are ahead.
(The writer is a former CBI Director)
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