Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: LeT terror suspect David Coleman Headley’s multiple visits to India have been confirmed through his passport.
As per his US passport (No. 097536400), details of which were available on Friday, he had come to New Delhi - the ninth visit to India on the passport - on March 6, 2009 from Abu Dhabi. After three days in the capital, he visited Mumbai and then left for Karachi in Pakistan. It is suspected that Headley also had a Pakistani passport.
The confirmation about his India visit came after a copy of his passport was found in records of the hotels he stayed while in Delhi.
Headley, who is of Pakistani origin, was arrested in the US by the FBI for suspected links
with the banned terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba, which had
carried out the Mumbai carnage last year that left about 180
people dead.
He is alleged to have hatched a conspiracy to carry out strikes inside and outside the US, with his main target being India.
In Delhi, he stayed in two hotels in Paharganj, a popular destination for foreign backpackers. First, for a day, at Hotel Holiday International and then next two days at Hotel Anand, hotel staff is being quoted as saying that he used to mainly stay indoors and there were no apparent reasons to suspect his credentials. While checking out he claimed that he was leaving for Rajasthan.
As per the information he furnished in the C-Form (mandatory for foreigners), he had come to India in a very legal way. He mentioned that he is in India for business and wants to stay back for 5 years.
There are also reports that Headley, while in Mumbai, had checked into The Taj and The Oberoi – main targets of the 26/11 attacks.
Besides Delhi and Mumbai, during his previous visits, Headley had also visited other cities like Lucknow, Ahemdabad and Agra.
In all he had come to India nine times and went back undetected.
As per his passport, he had also visited several countries including the United Arab of Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan in the year 2007.
Meanwhile, sleuths from the Special Cell of the Delhi Police have arrived in Paharganj to investigate more about his stay there. They have also seized all relevant documents from the hotels
Intelligence sources say that Headley has an eye for detail and was capable of meticulous planning.
It is suspected that he may have used the same diligence while gathering details that 10 LeT terrorists used for the Mumbai attacks that left over 170 people killed.
For instance, soon after reaching the Mumbai coast in a boat, the terrorists split themselves into five groups and each group headed for specific targets, easily pointing to a degree of familiarity with the area.
"It is strongly believed that Headley is the missing link in the 26/11 attacks probe. We are keenly looking at it," said an officer, requesting anonymity.
Indian Mujahideen
Sources said Central security agencies are also
investigating Headley's suspected association with terror outfit
Indian Mujhahideen, which had carried out a series of bomb
attacks across the country, including in Rajasthan and Delhi,
that left over 170 people dead.
Media reports claim that Headley had met IM’s chief Riyaz Bhatkal.
Moreover, there are fears that Headley might have used his immigration services business to help key SIMI and IM operatives like Bhatkal slip out if India.
Home Minister P Chidambaram had said yesterday that
besides Headley, the National Investigating Agency had
registered a case against his Canadian accomplice Tahawwur
Hussain Rana.
The duo was booked under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act and for conspiring to wage war against the
country in relation to the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.
A top Home Ministry official has claimed that the
investigators had enough evidence to show Headley's link with
LeT and the Government is all set to produce the documents
before a US court in January next and press for his
extradition to India.
"We will press for his extradition to India with the
evidence," the official said.
With a FBI team – the principle investigators of the case – scheduled to arrive in India next week, investigators here are expected to present the evidence collected so as to doubly ensure Headley’s conviction.
There are also reports that Indian officials will visit the US in January just before the filing of chargesheet against Headley and co-conspirator Tahawwur Rana.
First Published: Friday, November 13, 2009, 15:22