Ahead of PM’s US visit, limited access to Headley, Rana
30 Aug 2013 5:16 AM IST
As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh readies himself for the much-anticipated US visit next month, there were unconfirmed reports on Wednesday that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be holding a video conferencing with the US’s Department of Justice providing ‘limited access’ to Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist David Headley and his accomplice Tahawwur Rana.
Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, ‘We don’t have any clue about this.’
The video conference will come in the wake of reluctance on the part of the FBI, which blew the lid off the conspiracy that was being hatched by Headley, American-Pakistani national, along with Rana, who is a Pakistani national settled in Canada, for any further interrogation of the duo by Indian investigators. Official sources said the video conference will be held soon ahead of the 27 September visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the United States where he is scheduled to meet Barack Obama as well.
India has been intensifying efforts for access to Headley and Rana and during the Indo-US Homeland Security Dialogue held in Washington from 20-22 May, New Delhi had asked the US to hand over the duo for a brief period after the FBI expressed its inability to extradite them.
There was a possibility that the US may allow questioning of Rana, who has not been sentenced for any role in Mumbai attacks but jailed for 14 years followed by five years of supervised release for his role in a botched-up terror plot in Denmark and his wilful association with Headley.
The US has not given any opportunity to question Rana who was sentenced by an American court for his involvement in the terror plot in Denmark. Investigators hope Rana’s questioning may yield more information and his interrogations could throw more light on the conspiracy hatched to carry out the worst terror strike in India and the role of those behind it.
53-year-old Headley had pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism charges, including his involvement in the November 2008 attacks that claimed 166 lives in Mumbai. He had, however, entered into plea bargain with US authorities and was sentenced to 25 years in jail. 52-year-old Rana was convicted for providing material support to LeT and for backing a ‘dastardly’ plot to attack a Danish newspaper.
Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, ‘We don’t have any clue about this.’
The video conference will come in the wake of reluctance on the part of the FBI, which blew the lid off the conspiracy that was being hatched by Headley, American-Pakistani national, along with Rana, who is a Pakistani national settled in Canada, for any further interrogation of the duo by Indian investigators. Official sources said the video conference will be held soon ahead of the 27 September visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the United States where he is scheduled to meet Barack Obama as well.
India has been intensifying efforts for access to Headley and Rana and during the Indo-US Homeland Security Dialogue held in Washington from 20-22 May, New Delhi had asked the US to hand over the duo for a brief period after the FBI expressed its inability to extradite them.
There was a possibility that the US may allow questioning of Rana, who has not been sentenced for any role in Mumbai attacks but jailed for 14 years followed by five years of supervised release for his role in a botched-up terror plot in Denmark and his wilful association with Headley.
The US has not given any opportunity to question Rana who was sentenced by an American court for his involvement in the terror plot in Denmark. Investigators hope Rana’s questioning may yield more information and his interrogations could throw more light on the conspiracy hatched to carry out the worst terror strike in India and the role of those behind it.
53-year-old Headley had pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism charges, including his involvement in the November 2008 attacks that claimed 166 lives in Mumbai. He had, however, entered into plea bargain with US authorities and was sentenced to 25 years in jail. 52-year-old Rana was convicted for providing material support to LeT and for backing a ‘dastardly’ plot to attack a Danish newspaper.
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