New Delhi: Government today said that all
"bottlenecks" for access to 26/11 accused David Headley have
been removed and a new team will be sent to the US to pursue
the matter.
"...All the bottlenecks (for access to Headley) are
removed and we have a way forward. So it`s up to us to
operationalise the plan forward," said Solicitor General Gopal
Subramanium, who has just returned from the US after holding
discussions in this regard.
The law officer told reporters that "Once we are ready
to constitute our team, and get off board from India, the
access should be possible."
He was asked as to how early India could get access to
Headley.
He appreciated the "unstinted cooperation" from the US
authorities and said he had a "very fruitful" round of
discussions with them.
Subramanium`s five-day visit was primarily aimed at
understanding the US legal system within which India could get
access to Headley, a Pakistani-American national, sources
said.
He discussed with officials of the US Justice
Department modalities for access to Headley, a Lashkar-e-Taiba
operative, in an appropriate legal format.
India wants to question Headley in a manner that his
statement would be acceptable in a court of law here. In this
regard, a chargesheet would also be required to be filed
against Headley in India.
Headley, who was arrested in October last, has entered
into a plea bargain with the US government wherein he has
offered to be available to foreign investigators through
deposition, video conferencing or letters rogatory.
Subramanium had earlier advised the government to
settle for nothing less than Headley`s extradition to ensure
his thorough custodial interrogation.
Headley has told his America interrogators that he had
several times conducted recce for the Mumbai attacks. He has
also revealed that a serving Pakistani Army Major had given
training to him in Pakistan.
PTI
