Plot to attack US Consulate in city: Absconding Pak diplomat to be declared proclaimed offender

CHENNAI: The special court for NIA cases in Chennai has summoned 'absconding' 58-year-old Pakistan diplomat, last seen serving at Colombo's Pakistan mission, in connection with the 2014 espionage case as part of the procedure to declare him a proclaimed offender.

If he fails to appear on October 15, he will be declared a 'proclaimed' offender, sources said.

According to the NIA, Amir Zubair Siddiqui of Karachi, Pakistan, who was the ISI handler and had been posted in the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo in Sri Lanka, is a key accused in the 2014 espionage case as he was the handler who recruited a Sri Lankan national, Sakir Hussain, to develop a spy network in India and carry out attack at the US Consulate in Chennai and Israel mission in Bengaluru.

Sakir Hussain was arrested in April 2014 by Tamil Nadu police based on a tip-off from the Intelligence Bureau. Later, NIA took over the case.

In the same year, NIA arrested Sakir Hussain and his associates - Sivabalan and Mohammad Salim. Subsequently, the two other associates, Mohammad Sulaiman and Arun Selvarajan, both Sri Lankan nationals working for ISI, were also arrested. Sakir Hussain turned approver in the case, and others were convicted.

In 2018, another accused, Noorudin alias Rafi alias Ismail, was arrested, and a supplementary charge sheet was filed.

In August this year, Noorudin was convicted in the case since it was confirmed that Amir Zubair Siddiqui arranged fake Indian currency notes through Noorudin, and the special court sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment in the case.