The Union government on Monday told the Supreme Court that Bihar engineer Fasih Mahmood, who went missing, was in a Saudi Arabian jail, and efforts to bring him to India involved a lengthy and complicated process.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG), Gourab Banerjee, gave this information before a Bench of Justices, P. Sathasivam and Ranjan Gogoi, during the hearing of a habeas corpus petition filed by the engineer’s wife, Nikhat Parveen, for a direction to the Centre to produce him in court. When Ms. Parveen wanted the Centre to share the information regarding her husband, the ASG said Fasih was in the custody of the Saudi Arabian government since June 26.
Justice Sathasivam asked the ASG, “Since his whereabouts are known, why don’t you bring him to India?” Mr. Banerjee said the CBI was working to bring him to India, but it would take time, as it was a lengthy and complicated process.
The Bench then asked the government to file a report in two weeks on Fasih’s whereabouts, and the Centre’s efforts to bring him to India.
Fasih was allegedly picked up by intelligence agencies from Al Jubal on May 13. He hails from Barh Saaila village in Darbhanga district. The Bench posted the matter for hearing after two weeks.
