Zeenews Bureau
Chicago: The Indian Consulate in Chicago
Thursday said the papers related to issuance of visas to terror
suspects David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Rana had not gone
missing and the "relevant information" in this regard is
available with the Indian government.
"We have not reported loss of any papers regarding
issuance of visa to David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain
Rana. Relevant information concerning the issuance of visa to
these persons is available with the Government of India," a
senior consulate official said.
The official's remarks comes in the wake of reports
surfaced in the media that papers on the basis of which
Headley and Rana were issued visas by the Consulate may have
gone mysteriously missing.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna commenting on the report said that the Indian government has asked for a report from the Consulate General of India in Chicago on the missing visa papers of Headley.
“FBI has been cooperating with India. As and when the FBI will complete its probe, we will certainly get further information. We will decide on the next course of action after that,” Krishna added.
Commenting on the report, Foreign Secretary Nirupama
Rao yesterday said in New Delhi that she had asked for a
"factual report" from Chicago's Consulate General on the
issue.
India cancels visas of Headley and Rana
The Indian government has cancelled visas of Pakistani-origin terror suspects David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Rana, according to sources.
Authoritative sources told a news agency that the Indian visa of
Rana and Headley along with two others were cancelled a day
after the FBI filed the case against them in a Chicago Court.
Besides Headley and Rana, Indian visas have also been
cancelled of those of Rana's wife Samraz Rana Akhthar and his
business partner Raymond sanders.
A circular in this regard has been issued to all the
overseas Indian missions and point of entry in India.
The United States too has been informed about it so
does the individuals whose visas have been cancelled.
Pakistani-origin US national Headley and
Pakistani-Canadian Rana had travelled to India on multi-entry
visas issued by the Indian mission.
Headley and Rana, both arrested by the FBI in October
for plotting terror attacks in India and Denmark, travelled to
this country on multi-entry visas issued by the Indian
mission.
The visas to the duo were issued at the discretion of
the Consul General in Chicago.
While Headley was issued a five-year multi-entry
business visa in July 2007, Rana was given a one-year business
visa, valid up to March 2011, and both were also exempted from
police reporting if their stay was less than 180 days at a
single stretch.
Headley has been charged with criminal conspiring in
the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks which claimed 166 lives.
Rana,
who has also been denied bail, faces charges that he provided
support to Headley in plotting attacks against a Danish
newspaper.
Inputs from PTI
First Published: Thursday, December 17, 2009, 10:56