NIA probing Headley, Rana case: Chidambaram - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been entrusted with the task of probing the case related to 26/11 Lashkar suspects David Coleman Headley and Tawahhur Hussain Rana, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram revealed to the media while presenting his end of the month report for November 2009 on Tuesday. Chidambaram's revelation came days after the UPA Government said that that the United States will be sending a high-powered Federal Investigative Burea (FBI) team to New Delhi with details of its interrogation of Headley Coleman and information on Rana, who is Canada based. Earlier this week, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan had said that New Delhi has no plans to interrogate either Headley, an alleged Lashkar operative based in the United States of Pakistani origin, or his associate, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, in connection with 26/11. "They (Washington) have exhaustive information and President Obama has instructed the FBI to share everything with us (Indian Government)," Narayanan had added. "Counter-terrorism did come up for discussions between Obama and the Prime Minister. In particular, about the hubs that are coming up in our neighbourhood. It also came up in the Headley-Rana case," the National Security Adviser said. Narayanan said: "The (US) President promptly said `we are seized of the matter, we are willing to fully cooperate with whatever information is available. We will send a high-level team with all the data that is available, and this will be with the Indian authorities in a week's time''. Narayanan''s comments came a day after British intelligence agencies said they had tipped off the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) about Headley, days before he was arrested. Headley, a US citizen living in Chicago, was arrested in October in connection with the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Headley was in Pakistan at the time of the attacks and was reportedly working on another terror plan codenamed the 'Mickey Mouse Project'. It must be mentioned that five Pakistani military officials were arrested last week for their alleged connection with Headley. Rana stayed in a guesthouse in Mumbai close to the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, one of the sites targeted during the attacks, till November 21, 2008 before returning to Chicago. Headley is also said to have visited the Osho Ashram in Pune. Apart from his visit to the Taj Mahal hotel in 2007, he also visited New Delhi twice in 2007 and 2009 and stayed in a hotel in Paharganj. He has also been accused of plotting an attack on the culture editor and cartoonist who published cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in one of the leading dailies of Denmark. Chidambaram also said that the NIA has filed a charge sheet in the case relating to the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council on November 17, 2009 and in the case relating to seizure of FICN in Mumbai on November 6, 2009.