'Stays in Pakistan like Laden': India slams UN report for calling Dawood's D-Company 'India-based'

India has rejected a UN special report labelling Dawood Ibrahim-led D-Company as an “India-based" criminal group. On this, New Delhi hit out at the UN rapporteur for making “glaring inaccuracies" and warned that such incompetence undermines the world body's credibility. First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Raghoo Puri, responded to it on Wednesday in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.

This development came in response to a report by Ben Saul, the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism. “My delegation has been pointing out in other forums as well our serious concern at the unacceptable situation of the SR (Special Rapporteur) releasing reports with factual inaccuracies, while not being held accountable for them," Puri said.

He contended that such reports leave member states facing a fait accompli, calling it an unfortunate situation for an organisation already grappling with challenges to its legitimacy. “It is in this context that we would like to point out some particularly glaring inaccuracies as far as my country is concerned," Puri said.

Puri took exception to Saul’s report, highlighting a passage noting that the UN Security Council had listed the leader of “the India-based D-Company” in 2003 for its ties to Al-Qaeda. He said that, read on its own, this line creates a misleading impression far removed from the actual reality.

"This individual fled India much before the 2003 listing, and it was during this period from an outsider country that he was listed for being associated with al-Qaeda and with Osama Bin Laden," Puri said in a clear reference to Pakistan. "To date, he remains a wanted criminal in my country, and as per the UN's listing entry, resides in the same country where Osama Bin Laden was found and neutralised," Puri added, and pointed at Pakistan's garrison city Abbottabad where Osama bin Laden was found living.

D-Company wanted in India in connection with terror attacks

Firmly rejecting the characterisation of D-Company as India-based, Puri stated that the criminal organisation and its listed leader, Dawood Ibrahim, have been wanted in India in connection with terror attacks dating back to 1993. “This is clearly written in the narrative summary of reasons for listing under the 1267 sanctions regime," he said, referring to the UN Security Council’s Al-Qaeda sanctions regime.

“Not mentioning this fact is regrettable, and such incompetence on the part of special mandate holders does this organisation tremendous harm," Puri said. “Let me correct it for the record. 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," he added.