It is some time before India can lay his hands on Fasih Mohammed, accused of being involved in conspiracy of bomb blasts in Bangalore and Delhi, after Saudi Arabia put a stop to his deportation from there saying they want to go into his role in that country before conceding New Delhi’s request for handing him over. This was made known through diplomatic as well as security agency-to-agency meetings within days after news of deportation of Syed Zabiuddin alias Abu Jundal from that country came to light, official sources said. While the Saudi authorities officially confirmed his detention there, they conveyed that they were examining his role and stay ‘carefully’ in that country. Over-exposure of the role and cooperation of the Gulf country are stated to be the reason behind the decision not to hand over him to the Indian authorities, the sources said. Incidentally, National Security Advisor Shivshanker Menon, during his address to the Directors and Inspectors General of police last week, cited this as an example saying Saudi authorities were not happy with the way details of the Abu Jundal operation were made public by the security agencies involved in the operation. UNI
