26/11: India tells US to hand over Headley ‘temporarily’
2 Jun 2013 11:57 PM GMT
Despite assurances by US to consider India’s request to temporarily handover LeT terrorist David Headley for a year and extradite his accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana, it is unlikely to be executed anytime soon.
Sources said that though US maintained that they would expedite the proceedings they covertly gave the impression to not have put it on their priority list.
Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and other Indian officials made this request during the Indo-US Homeland Security Dialogue held in Washington between 20-22 May.
US has already expressed their reservations in extraditing Headley to India.
While Headley has been questioned once by Indian officials in US, his Pakistani-Canadian friend Tahawwur Rana has remained out of India’s reach till now. Rana had helped Headley to recce the 26/11 targets for Pakistan-based terror outfit LeT and was sentenced by an American court for his involvement in a terror plot in Denmark.
Following India’s consistent persuasion during the visit, the US has indicated to interlocutors that India could be given access to Headley for the second time to get more information about the conspiracy hatched to carry out the 2008 Mumbai attack.
Indian investigators believe that if they could quiz Rana, many hidden information could come into light as he was a close associate of Headley. ‘Their interrogation could give us a lot of information on Mumbai attacks. We have a lengthy questionnaire for them. Though we got a chance once to confront Headley it was not enough as we were in another country where access was limited,’ the MHA officials said.
Fifty-one-year-old Headley had pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism charges, including his involvement in the November 2008 attacks that claimed 166 lives. He had, however, entered into plea bargain with US authorities.
Sources said that though US maintained that they would expedite the proceedings they covertly gave the impression to not have put it on their priority list.
Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and other Indian officials made this request during the Indo-US Homeland Security Dialogue held in Washington between 20-22 May.
US has already expressed their reservations in extraditing Headley to India.
While Headley has been questioned once by Indian officials in US, his Pakistani-Canadian friend Tahawwur Rana has remained out of India’s reach till now. Rana had helped Headley to recce the 26/11 targets for Pakistan-based terror outfit LeT and was sentenced by an American court for his involvement in a terror plot in Denmark.
Following India’s consistent persuasion during the visit, the US has indicated to interlocutors that India could be given access to Headley for the second time to get more information about the conspiracy hatched to carry out the 2008 Mumbai attack.
Indian investigators believe that if they could quiz Rana, many hidden information could come into light as he was a close associate of Headley. ‘Their interrogation could give us a lot of information on Mumbai attacks. We have a lengthy questionnaire for them. Though we got a chance once to confront Headley it was not enough as we were in another country where access was limited,’ the MHA officials said.
Fifty-one-year-old Headley had pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism charges, including his involvement in the November 2008 attacks that claimed 166 lives. He had, however, entered into plea bargain with US authorities.
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