India will soon be handing over to Pakistan “inquest’’ reports of the nine slain Pakistani terrorists in the 26/11 attack and the “search memo’’ of the boat in which the 10 terrorists travelled to reach the shores of Mumbai to unleash terror on the night of November 26, 2008.
Government sources said that the home ministry has approached the Mumbai court hearing the 26/11 case to access the inquest reports and search memo which when made available will be handed over to the Pakistani authorities. The move is part of India’s efforts to mount pressure on Pakistan to act against the 26/11 perpetrators.
Pakistan had asked India to make this evidence available to them to help establish in its court the nationality of the slain terrorists as well as verify the material carried in the boat which set sail from Pakistani shores. Meanwhile, home secretary G.K. Pillai held a high-level meeting with chiefs of the CBI and NIA on Wednesday to firm up the agenda for the forthcoming India-Pakistan home secretary level talks on March 28-29.
Pakistan is expected to raise the Samjhauta blast case in which involvement of Hindu extremists has come to light. The Indian side, however, will inform the Pakistani authorities that investigation is in progress in the case which has been taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). “We will tell them that any details can only be shared once a chargesheet in filed in the case,” a senior government official said.
The home ministry has time and again expressed disappointment over the slow pace of the 26/11 trial in Rawalpindi.
“We do not want to give Pakistan any reason to blame us for their inability to bring to book the 26/11 perpetrators in that country. We are making available to them whatever evidence they have sought from us,” an official said.
Mr Pillai is also expected to hand over to his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Qamar Zaman dossiers containing names of terror accused and “wanted’’ persons like Dawood Ibrahim believed to be hiding in that country. Mr Pillai is also likely to hand over a separate dossier on the fake Indian currency notes allegedly being pumped into the country from Pakistan.