An Iraqi national, more importantly a blood cancer patient, who arrived here for treatment, was detained at the international airport for about nine hours by the immigration officials thanks to a false alarm by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in Delhi.
Airport sources said Mr Bhavan Asan Salman Khader (42), taking treatment at the corporate global hospitals for blood cancer, arrived Saturday at 4.30 am to visit the hospital when the immigration officials detained him, stating that he was wanted by the IB. Even before the Etihad Airlines flight landed, immigration officials received an alert from the office of the joint director of IB that they should detain Mr Khader.
Acting promptly, the officials detained him when he came to the counter to complete the formalities. Any amount of explaining by the engineering graduate, who was accompanied by his personal physician, was of no help as the officials detained him in a room. Mr Khader told the officials that he had been taking treatment at the hospital and had visited the city twice. He even showed them the hospital records, but the officials would not budge.
After he informed the hospital, the doctors who treated him came to the airport and informed the officials that he was a genuine passenger. Finally convinced, the officials called up the IB officials in Delhi. They were shocked to know that the passenger was not a wanted man and could be allowed to leave. After nine hours of detension, Mr Khader was allowed to leave at 1 pm, airport sources said.