India got Samad from UAE after four IM men escaped net

India was able to get back Abdul Samad,the brother of alleged Pune blast accused Yasin Bhatkal,from Dubai after New Delhi conveyed to the UAE its serious concern over four key Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives being allowed to escape from Sharjah two months ago.

Top government sources told The Indian Express that at a security coordination meeting two months ago,New Delhi had asked UAE for help in nabbing four IM operatives suspected to be involved in the Pune attack,who were then in Sharjah. Their addresses were handed over; however,the four men escaped. India was later told that the men could not be found at the given addresses. Indian agencies believe the IM men escaped to Pakistan.

UAE cooperated with Indian agencies to mount round-the-clock surveillance on Samad for nearly a month,and ultimately virtually forced him to board Air India’s Dubai-Mangalore flight on May 24,a day before his three-month Dubai visa was to expire.

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Indian intelligence operatives escorted him to Mangalore,and he was taken away by Maharashtra ATS officers who were waiting on the tarmac.

Samad’s relatives have alleged that the Dubai authorities seized his passport on March 25.