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Four-member NIA team to leave for US on Sunday to question Headley | A four member National Investigation Agency (NIA) team will leave for the United States on Sunday to question Lashkar operative David Coleman Headley in connection with his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The team will consist of three investigators
and a law officer. Earlier, India had sought access to Headly between June 1to15.
Headley is presently lodged in a jail in Chicago . After questioning, the National
Investigating Agency (NIA) will file a chargesheet against Headley in an Indian
court. Headley, a Pakistani-American, was arrested by the US Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) in October 2009 for plotting an attack on a Danish newspaper.
During his interrogation, he also confessed to his role in the Mumbai attacks
in which Pakistan based terrorists killed 166 people. A few days later, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian said
to be a close associate of Headley, on similar charges. Rana has denied his involvement
in the conspiracy. Headley, 49, told US interrogators that he had conducted a
reconnaissance of the Mumbai sites before the attacks, having visited the country
several times. He also revealed that a serving Pakistani army major trained him
in Pakistan . Headley has pleaded guilty on all 12 criminal counts against him,
including his role in the Mumbai attacks conspiracy. In exchange, US prosecutors
agreed that he would not be extradited to a third country, including India , or
face the death penalty. Headley also agreed to be questioned by any foreign agency
through deposition or video conferencing. The access to Headley came after Prime
Minister Dr Manmohan Singh interceded with President Barack Obama during his visit
to the US . The national security advisers of both countries also held talks on
the same issue. Following this, a two-member team led by solicitor General Gopal
Subramanium visited the US to discuss the modalities of gaining access to Headley
with counterpart attorney-general Eric Holder. After his return Subramanium had
said: “All the bottlenecks are removed and we have a way forward. So it’s up to
us to operationalize the plan forward.” India is expected to use the interrogation
to tie up loose ends and unravel the plot behind the Mumbai attacks. The investigators
will also question Headley about the involvement of Indians in the attacks as
well his Pakistani handlers. |
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