'Glaring inaccuracies': India rejects UN's 'India-based' tag for Dawood's D-Company
What's the story
India has strongly objected to the United Nations special rapporteur's description of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company as an "India-based" criminal group. The objection was raised by Raghoo Puri, first secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the UN, during a Third Committee meeting of the UN General Assembly. Puri highlighted "glaring inaccuracies" in a counter-terrorism report by Ben Saul, the special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.
Report inaccuracies
Puri highlights inaccuracies in Saul's report
Puri expressed concern over the release of reports with factual inaccuracies by the Special Rapporteur without accountability.
He said these errors leave member states little room to respond before findings enter public discourse.
He highlighted a line in Saul's report, which stated that the UN Security Council listed "the India-based D-Company" leader in 2003 for association with Al-Qaeda.
Puri rejected this description as misleading and said Ibrahim and his organization have been wanted in India since 1993 for terror attacks.
Timeline clarification
Ibrahim fled India before his UN listing
Puri clarified that Ibrahim was listed for his association with Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden in 2023 while he was outside India.
"The report mentions that in 2003, the Security Council listed the leader of one criminal group, D-Company, for association with Al-Qaeda....This individual fled India much before the 2003 listing, and it was during this period, from outside our country, that he was listed for being associated with Al-Qaeda and with Osama bin Laden."
Bias
'Clear bias in different parts of the report'
He also noted the "clear bias in different parts of the report," urging that the highest standards of probity and impartiality be maintained.
"It seems to have become fashionable for sponsors of terror to use human rights and the framework of counter-terrorism to justify their misdeeds. Human rights framework cannot be the refuge of the perpetrators of terror and those who propagate radicalization and extremism," he said.