Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Case against Haneef

This refers to the report that the Australian police have charged Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef with providing support to a terrorist group in connection with the terror plots in London and Glasgow. Though I sympathise with his family members, I feel the Prime Minister should refrain from commiserating with them. India has long accused other nations of going soft on militancy and now when an Indian has been charged, we cannot afford to doubt the integrity of the victim nation’s inquiry.

On the other hand, by the use of proper channels, checks should be installed to ensure that an innocent person does not suffer the ire of a hurt nation. Handing over one’s SIM card to one’s cousin who incidentally uses it for some sort of wrongdoing does not seem tantamount to abetting terrorist activity. In Dr. Haneef’s case, the prima facie evidence looks suspiciously weak.

Diksha Kaustubhi,
New Delhi

As an expatriate, I know that it is very common among Indians to give their SIM cards to friends or relatives while leaving a country. If Dr. Haneef’s handing over his SIM card to Kafeel and Sabeel Ahmed is the only issue, it is important for the police to know that the practice is very common among NRIs.

Suresh Babu,
Dubai

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh now has a genuine reason to lose sleep. India is not only fighting terrorism in its own backyard but is also faced with Indians getting involved in international terrorism. Whether or not Dr. Haneef is cleared of the charges against him, it is time we woke up to the ground realities.

C.S. Sukhavanam,
Coimbatore

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