CBI kept Delhi court in the dark on defreezing, told it the opposite: he’s wanted

On the contrary, it submitted a “status report” that suggested just the opposite.

Court records, accessed by The Indian Express show that on December 20, in the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Seema Maini, the CBI said that to “apprehend the accused (Quattrocchi),” a Red Corner Notice was “still in existence” and details of “the present whereabouts of the accused’’ would be submitted soon to the court.

Hearings in the Quattrocchi case have been taking place every two to three months and and at every juncture, the CBI has filed written submissions before the Special Court echoing this.

That’s not all. The agency also submitted copies of messages exchanged between Interpol, New Delhi, and Interpol, Rome, in 2004, to claim that the hunt for Quattrocchi was still on.

These Interpol exchanges reveal how the CBI told the court that it’s working to bring him from Italy where Quattrocchi moved from Kuala Lumpur after he won his extradition case. The Interpol messages reveal:

• January 29, 2004: Message from Interpol, Delhi, sent to Interpol, Rome: ‘‘You are required to ascertain the present whereabouts of Ottavio Quattrocchi at the address given in an earlier fax message. The Government of India seeks his presence in respect of the above court matter in which cognizance of offence has already been taken by the court and charges framed against the other accused, all of whom have already appeared in court.’’ ‘‘In case Otavio Quattrocchi cannot be extradited on the basis of Italian laws, please furnish us the legal position in the matter after consulting Italian legal authorities to enable us to further proceed in the matter. Initiation of legal processes against Ottavio Quattrocchi in lieu of his extradition, subject to his availability in Italy, would be examined by us.’’

• March 1, 2004: Fax message sent by Interpol, Delhi to Interpol, Rome: ‘‘Remember to cross-check immigration data of the member countries for the period from July 2003 till date. If any movement of the noted fugitive has been found, which may be prove fruitful to our interest, this may be intimated to us….the search result and dates of this immigration data may please be sent to us.’’