India / I am Chinese and not a terrorist Huawei India CEO argued in court

Huawei Telecom (India) Chief Executive Officer Li Xiongwei told a Delhi court on Friday, "I am a Chinese and I am not a terrorist." Apparently he has borrowed this line from Shahrukh Khan's film. His remarks were made in response to the Income Tax (IT) department's protest on the bail plea filed by his lawyer Vijay Agarwal. The department appealed to the court to dismiss the petition. Let us tell you that in the film My Name is Khan, Shahrukh Khan said, "My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist".

The Income Tax Department told the court that India does not have an extradition treaty with China. If the CEO leaves for China, it will be very difficult to bring him back. The department said in its affidavit that the investigation is yet to be completed.

The affidavit has been filed in response to a petition seeking quashing of the look-out notice issued against him by the Income Tax Department. Look-out circular or LoC prohibits a person from traveling abroad. Officials use it to prevent people accused in criminal cases from leaving the country. They usually find out about such sanctions against them at the airport itself.

Objecting to the demand of the department, Agarwal said that it is disturbing that the department is opposing bail in bailable offences. Claiming that the LoC issued against Lee is an abuse of power, Agarwal said such a ban can be issued only for a cognizable offence. He argued that the offense involving Lee is a non-cognizable offence.

The court said orally that it would have to examine security measures to ensure if Li was allowed to travel to China. The court asked, "What if tomorrow he flies to China and never returns?"

verdict next week

The bench inquired about Lee's annual salary and asked his lawyer to ensure that two sureties are arranged by next week. After that the court will give its decision. The court also inquired about Lee's relatives and properties in India. Responding to the court's question, Lee's lawyer has asked to give seven days advance notice to the I-T department before leaving the country.

In its affidavit, the Income Tax Department said that the LOC against the CEO is correct and as per the provisions of law. The department said that in the present scenario there is no ground for cancellation of LoC. The affidavit stated that "there is a need to balance the rights of an individual with the protection of the interests of the prosecuting and investigative agencies. The most important in the present case would be the economic interest of the country."

Let us tell you that on May 1, a Chinese national, Li was stopped at the New Delhi airport. He was not allowed to travel to Bangkok to attend a meeting on behalf of Huawei Telecom (India). His boarding pass was canceled and not returned. He had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the LoC.

Lee termed the action of the IT department as a big blow to his reputation as well as the reputation of Huawei India. In response, the department told the Delhi High Court that a LOC had been issued against Lee. Huawei has denied allegations of non-cooperation.