FBI team headed to India to probe LeT plot

Washington: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) chief Robert Mueller will be visiting New Delhi next week to probe the India links of David Coleman Headley, the Pakistan born American national in custody in the US for allegedly plotting terror attacks.

Mueller, who will be heading a team of investigators days ahead of the first anniversary of the November 26 Mumbai terror strike, will probe Headley's network in India and also establish his links with the Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), intelligence officials here said.

Information provided by the FBI has revealed that Headley operated a visa agency in Mumbai for almost two years until July 2008 and had travelled to India on business visas nine times between 2006 and 2009.

"They might be travelling to some of cities where Headley visited while he was here. Since a Chicago court has given a 60-day deadline to the FBI to complete its investigations in the case and file an indictment, they want to move fast in the case," said an intelligence official.

Headley and his alleged accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, are being held on charges of plotting attacks in India at the behest of the LeT.

Intelligence shared by the FBI following the interrogation of Headley revealed that two of India's most prestigious boarding schools - Doon in Dehradun and Woodstock in Mussoorie - and the National Defence College in New Delhi were supposed targets of the LeT.

A team of intelligence officials from the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Intelligence Bureau had flown into Washington on November 1 to question Headley.

The team was keen to find out if Headley was in touch with the masterminds of the LeT and if he attended any of the training camps the 10 Pakistan-based terrorists went through for the 26/11 attack.

But apparently objections from the accused's lawyer questioning a foreign agency's involvement in the interrogation came in the way.

FBI HAS 60 DAYS TO FILE CHARGES

The FBI has been given 60 days to file charges in the foiled terror plot in India and Denmark by two Pakistan-born Chicago men at the behest of Pakistan-based terrorist outfit LeT.

Chicago court's chief Judge James F Holderman has extended till January 1, 2010, the period of filing indictment against the accused duo, David Coleman Headley, a Pakistan-born American national, and his Pakistan-born Canadian associate Tahawwur Hussain Rana.

FBI agents arrested Headley on October 18 from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as he was preparing to board a flight to Philadelphia, and subsequently arrested Tahawwur Hussain Rana, whose former name was Daood Gilani. The two intended to travel to Pakistan, apparently to firm up their latest terror designs.

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The court has also put off further hearing on Rana's bail plea by a week after the FBI sought a rescheduling of the hearing and filed additional papers with the court, disclosing inflammatory videos of al-Qaeda, containing speeches by Osama bin-Laden and others, that had been recovered from Rana's Chicago residence.

At the request of counsel, the hearing on Rana's case before Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan is re-scheduled from Tuesday to November 19, a Justice Department official said.

The FBI vigorously opposed the bail plea of Rana arguing that he was "innocent" and had been "duped" by Headley, his schoolmate in Pakistan.

The development came a day after a team of officials from two Indian intelligence agencies, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), left the US disappointed as their members were not able to question Headley.

Official sources say Headley travelled to Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Agra and Delhi from 2006 to 2009. The Home Ministry has issued a terror alert in these places.

Headley had done a recce of National Defence College and vital installations in other cities. He was also recruiting cadres for terror outfit Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) and sending these cadres to a Gulf country using his Mumbai-based immigration business.

Headley was arrested by the FBI in Chicago last month for allegedly hatching a conspiracy with the LeT to carry out strikes in the US and India.

Sources say an FBI team will reach India on November 18 to gather further evidence. Ironically, an investigation team sent by India to US had returned empty handed last week as they were not allowed to question him.

Meanwhile, visa rules made very stingent after Headley's visit. Pakistan-born US citizens seeking business and tourist visas to visit india will now have to go through the Indian Government. Earlier visas used to be granted by the US government.