India will take a decision on seeking further access to Lashkar operative David Headley in the US after perusing the complete judgment of a Chicago court which acquitted Tahawwur Rana of charges of being involved in Mumbai terror attacks. Official sources said on Sunday that once the details of the decision of the jury comes out, the sleuths of National Investigation Agency (NIA) will have parleys with experts of international law and decide the future strategy in this case.
US state department spokesman Mark Toner had said in Washington that US would consider giving India further access to Headley, a Pakistani-American, who has pleaded guilty in 26/11 attack, for questioning by its agencies once New Delhi makes such a request.
The NIA, which is investigating the case against Headley, Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian, and others, had decided to wait for the proceedings to conclude in the Chicago court before filing a chargesheet against the accused. The agency has also sought certain documents and evidence that were produced in the US court and expects to receive them.
After examining the verdict in the US court and after reviewing the documents and evidence that it expects to receive, NIA will take a decision on filing a chargesheet against Headley, Rana and others in an Indian court, official sources said.
NIA registered a case against Headley and his accomplice Rana to probe their role in various terror strikes in the country, including the Mumbai attack, on November 12, 2008. The duo were booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and for conspiring to wage war against the country.
“We have said in the past we’ve granted that access (to Headley) and, you know, obviously there was the trial that took place, but in the future we would consider providing that access again,” Mr Toner had said.
Headley has pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism charges, including his involvement in the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people. The American-born Lashkar terrorist was also a witness in the trial of Rana, who was acquitted by a Chicago court in the Mumbai attack case on June 9.