Haradanahalli Deve Gowda Kumaraswamy, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Karnataka, is no political novice and no stranger to the difficulties of dealing with potential Muslim trouble makers.

His father, HD Deve Gowda, was for a time Prime Minister of India as well as Chief Minister of Karnataka where, like his son, he governed from Bangalore a population of 50 million people including some 12% of Muslims.

The police in Bangalore have been following the case of Dr Mohamed Haneef not just from afar but with the benefit of information from an Australian federal policeman sent to India to gather information.

After some initial procedural wrangling over sharing information about the suspect, relations at the official level between the governments of Australia and India got back on track. So much so that The Times of India reported on Sunday that a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between the two countries will be in place soon.

Under these circumstances it is reasonable to presume that Mr Kumaraswamy was aware, when Dr Haneef flew back to Bangalore from Brisbane, of more than just the information disclosed in press reports. The kind of additional information made available to Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews before he decided to revoke Dr Haneef’s visa would surely have been given to the Indian police, and then the Chief Minister, if co-operation is to mean anything.

Which is what makes Chief Minister Kumaraswamy’s welcome home message to Dr Haneef so interesting.

There was no hint of the official cold-shoulder when he told The Hindu newspaper on Sunday night that the Karnataka Government would offer Dr Haneef the post of a senior government surgeon.

“The government is happy to welcome Dr Haneef back home after the ordeal he went through. I am personally happy that he has arrived safely. I will call on him at his residence on Monday.”