Probe ordered into A-I flying LTTE men

NEW DELHI, MAY 18: Air-India and immigration authorities of the United Kingdom are busy playing the blame game on the arrival in London a...

NEW DELHI, MAY 18: Air-India and immigration authorities of the United Kingdom are busy playing the blame game on the arrival in London and mysterious disappearance of four LTTE activists in January.

Air-India carried the four 8212; travelling on fake passports 8212; from New Delhi to London and, once the identity of the passengers was discovered, was fined 8,000 pounds.

A-I has now managed to get a waiver of the fine, putting the onus squarely on UK immigration authorities as they could not prevent the LTTE cadre from slipping away even after detection. The LTTE activists are still to be arrested.

The incident, in which some of the top LTTE activists managed to hoodwink the authorities, is fast acquiring the dimensions of an international issue with inquiries being instituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the UK Home Office.

The security lapse occurred on January 12 when the four LTTE men made last-minute bookings on the A-I flight to Paris. They were travelling on fake Singapore passports andmanaged to board the flight after clearing immigration at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Due to bad weather the flight was diverted to Heathrow and all the passengers offered a one night lay-over.

The LTTE activists were detected while trying to clear immigration at Heathrow Airport. Curiously, they were allowed to go to the hotel along with other passengers. They managed to slip away from the hotel.

Meanwhile, the UK immigration authorities raised a hue and cry about it. They took up the matter with the local A-I flight commissioner and the Indian High Commissioner and insisted on payment of the fine.

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A livid Air India refused to pay and, instead, cited the provisions of the Carrier Liability Act and the international conventions of investigation and fraud prevention which according to them put the onus on the immigration authorities.

Anxious to keep the incident under wraps, the UK Home Office decided to waive the fine. A-I was told on March 24 that they need not pay since an officialinquiry was being conducted into the escape of the Tigers.