India recalls RAW official from Sri Lanka

A Joint Secretary level Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official has been recalled from Sri Lanka for having alleged connection with a foreigner woman.

Ravi Nair, a 1975 batch RAS officer, who managed to get plum postings despite been on scanner for a long time had raised eyebrows in the services.

During his posting in Hong Kong, Nair had met a "foreigner friend" (woman) believed to be working for a Chinese spy agency prompting the authorities to ask him to come back.

However, within a brief time the officer was again given a foreign posting in Colombo where the woman also came and allegedly started staying with him, raising suspicion, sources said adding Nair was allegedly sharing "patronage" from some officials in the power corridor.

The officials of other departments, posted at the Indian High Commission, sent reports about Nair to their respective departments paving way for his recall.

The department was quick enough to find a replacement as well as pre-emptive measure so that the official was brought here.

Already under fire over the embarrassing escape of joint secretary Rabinder Singh in 2004, the RAW did not want to take any chance this time and was planning a departmental action against him.

The role of some former chiefs of RAW may also come under scanner for not taking action against the official during his earlier tenures in Chicago (the US) where he had also allegedly committed some "irregularities".