By TCN Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Where is Fasih Mahmood? Is he alive or dead? asked Supreme Court on Monday. We don’t have any knowledge, replied the Government of India. Will the Government of Saudi Arabia answer the question or remain silent as it is since May 13 when the young engineer from Bihar was picked from his home in Al-Jubail in the presence of his wife.
Fasih Mahmood had been working in Saudi Arabia since 2006. He was a bonafide citizen of India and a talented work hand of Saudi Arabia who was doing his bid for the development of the desert nation. There was no complaint against him there in all six years. According to his wife Nikhat Perween, two local policemen along with two officials from Indian Embassy in Riyadh came to his home in Al Jubail, Saudi Arab and took him away saying India wanted him for his alleged involvement in a terror case.
Fasih Mahmood
While Arab News and other papers said Fasih was deported the same day to India and he was arrested at the airport, but the Indian government has denied it till date. It says the man has not been arrested by India, he is not in the custody of any Indian agency, moreover, he is not in India.
The government has told this to Supreme Court in all three hearings so far on a petition filed by Perween seeking the apex court intervention to know about the whereabouts of her husband. Home Minister P. Chidambaram has gone to the extent saying Fasih could be in Saudi Arabia. This puts the Saudi government in the dock. They must come out and clear the cloud over the status of Fasih Mahmood.
They must tell the family of Fasih, the government of India and the Supreme Court the truth about Fasih Mahmood. They must answer the following questions if they have any respect to the life and dignity of a human being – a person who has been working in the desert nation as a qualified engineer at various companies of national and international repute. He was not a criminal or absconder.
Important Questions
Was Fasih detained on May 13 on the request of Indian Government?
Was he deported to India after the detention?
If he was not deported
Where is he right now?
In whose custody is he?
Why is he still being held there when Indian Government has sought his arrest and deportation through Interpol Red Cornor Notice 12 days back?
Fasih’s family and media have so far sought answer from the government of India over the issue. Now that the government has said before the Supreme Court, the highest judicial body of the country, that the man is not in the custody of India and he is not in India, the government can be believed and the pressure now automatically shifts to the Saudi Government.
The Saudi government should break its silence. It is not just a matter between the two countries, it is also a matter of life of a human being, it is a matter of a respected family, rather it is a matter concerning whole community of Indian Muslims.