By IANS
Bangalore : Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s job offer to Muhammad Haneef has placed the Bangalore police in a fix over their plans to question him over his activities in the city and links with two suspects in the failed British terror plot.
Kumaraswamy met Haneef Monday, the day after the 27-year-old doctor arrived here from Australia after terror charges against him were dropped, and extended all help including an offer of a job in a government hospital.
He reiterated his government’s readiness to help Haneef in whatever way possible in the state assembly Tuesday in response to opposition Congress demand that the state bear the doctor’s legal expenses.
Before Kumaraswamy extended support to him, the city police had said they intended to question him notwithstanding the fact that the Australian police had dropped the charges.
The chief minister’s action has “certainly placed the police in a difficult situation”, a senior city police official said.
“We were planning to question Haneef about his financial dealings, links and activities in the city before he went abroad for work and dealings with his two cousins (Kafeel and Sabeel Ahmed) who are also suspects in the British terror bid.”
The official requesting anonymity said police are in a dilemma, as they cannot abandon the plan to question the doctor as the government may turn around later and haul them up for not doing their job.
“We have to do a delicate balancing act of not causing embarrassment to the chief minister and at the same time extracting information from Haneef to the questions we have for him,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, Haneef has not been available to the media or police, as he has gone out of Bangalore for rest and to spend time with his wife Firdous Arshiya, month-old daughter Haniya and other members of the family.
Police say they expect him to cooperate with them as he did with the Australian police so that the matter can be closed as soon as possible which will allow him to get on with his life.