Nuke secrets: Suspect shifted to Delhi

Akhtar Hussein Qutubuddin Ahmed, the businessman arrested by the Dubai police for allegedly selling Indian nuclear secrets, was flown from Mumbai to Delhi on Monday where central intelligence agencies are expected to question him, sources in the ministry of home affairs said.

"It will take at least a couple of days to investigate the allegations," a senior MHA official said.

Ahmed reportedly procured documents pertaining to India's nuclear programme from his 'nuclear scientist' brother. But his brother 'has been found to be a medical practitioner'.

He has reportedly told his interrogators in Mumbai that he had never offered to sell any nuclear secrets but was only 'advising' certain countries to take steps to becoming nuclear powers.

Akhtar alleged that his deportation was the fallout of his entering into a verbal duel with some officials in Dubai, sources familiar with his interrogation report said.

The 35-year-old businessman told interrogators that he never possessed any nuclear secret but wanted 'brotherly' countries to acquire nuclear weapons.

Akhtar, who has some educational background in nuclear sciences, had been approaching some missions in Dubai asking them to take early steps to become nuclear powers, sources said.

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India has requested Dubai authorities to furnish certain details about Akhtar, which had not been received so far.

Dubai police had claimed that Akhtar had told them that his brother was working as a scientist with an Indian nuclear establishment.

The case is being handled exclusively by central intelligence agencies and the Mumbai police had been kept out of the probe in view of its sensitivity.