New Delhi
17 November 2009
The United States-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) operative David Coleman
Headley and his Canadian associate Tahawwur Hussain Rana were in touch with
Pakistan-based ''handlers'' who gave directions to the 10 terrorists, including the lone
surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab, who carried out the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.
A top government source said: ''Evidence is slowly getting accumulated showing that the
LeT handlers of the 26/11 terrorists in Pakistan and Headley and Rana were the same.
We already have evidence of some of them.''
The investigating agencies have asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the
US to share the tapes of the voice recordings of conversations of Headley and Rana with
their handlers in Pakistan, to match them with the samples available here.
The agencies are gathering evidence to ascertain linkages between Headley and Rana
with Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah and the other masterminds of the Mumbai terror
attacks. Shah currently is in Pakistani custody.
The matter relating to Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, came up in the talks
between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper
here Tuesday.
"I did mention to Prime Minister Stephen Harper the particular case you have
mentioned," Prime Minister Singh said at a joint press conference with Harper, when
asked whether the issue figured in their discussions.
"We had a fruitful discussion in expanding areas of cooperation in combating the
scourge of terrorism," he added. Prime Minister Singh declined to share more details,
saying that the matter is under investigation. India wants Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT)
operative Rana's links in Canada to be investigated.
The Delhi Police's special cell on Tuesday raided two cyber cafes alleged to have been
used by Headley during his three-day stay at in two hotels in Paharganj area of the
capital earlier this year.
The police described the searches as "routine" and not specifically connected to the
investigations. A senior police officer confirmed that the information gathered from the
two cyber cafes visited by Headley has been passed on to the National Investigation
Agency (NIA).
Government sources said that "the tapes, which are with the FBI, will help establish that
Headley and Rana were part of a larger conspiracy behind the Mumbai attacks".
Following Headley and Rana's arrest by the FBI in the US last month, it was revealed
that Headley was in constant touch with LeT leaders, one of whom has been identified as
Sajid Mir.
There is definite information that Headley and Rana had stayed in Pakistan during last
year's Mumbai attack and left that country in the first week of December 2008, the official
said.
The security agencies are ''worried'' about the presence of LeT sleeper cells in India.
Investigating agencies are closely looking at the records of all Pakistan-born foreigners
who are currently in India, a top government official said.
The 40 teams of investigating agencies set up by the NIA are also questioning people at
all the places in cities visited by Headley and Rana during their stay in India. Besides
questioning the people who may have got in touch with Headley and Rana, the security
agencies are trying to track down details of more than 100 persons who had responded
to the advertisements offering immigration services put out by Rana in Kochi and
Mumbai.
"We are probing whether the advertisements were issued in some local newspapers
also," the official said, adding that while some of the people recruited by Rana may have
been sent to the US, there may be others who are still in the country.
Headley and Rana had mostly used international credit cards for their financial dealings,
besides receiving money from abroad through Western Union Money Transfer.
"Canadian intelligence agencies are probing Rana's source of income and other details,"
the official said.
On Rahul Bhatt , the official said that he is a ''witness'' in the case and the agencies are
questioning him to ascertain if he had unwittingly helped Headley. The official dismissed
reports that Rahul had introduced three Bollywood actresses to Headley. The official
also dismissed reports that an official of the Pakistani Consulate in Mumbai handing
over a satellite telephone to Headley, saying that there was no proof of that.
Earlier, in his opening remarks at the joint news conference, Prime Minister Singh said
that he conveyed to Prime Minister Harper India's grave concern over the scourge of
international terrorism and the threat posed from extremist ideologies. For his part,
Prime Minister Harper of Canada said that he "discussed the case" with Prime Minister
Singh and "resolved to cooperate closely in future exchange of information." He assured
India that Canada is working with United States authorities and will share intelligence on
Rana.
In the joint statement issued on the occasion, Harper condemned the terrorist attacks in
26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai and expressed the hope that those behind the attacks
would be swiftly brought to justice. He also conveyed assurances that Canada stood
firmly with India in dealing with global terrorism. Both leaders reiterated the need for
intensifying global cooperation in combating international terrorism, the joint statement
read.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry is exploring ways to tighten
regulations for advertisements for immigration jobs following the advertisements put out
by Headley and Rana in English dailies in Kochi last year.
"I have asked my officials to examine the matter and suggest appropriate remedial
measures," Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said here
Tuesday.
As per current practice, the Protector of Emigrants (PoE) has to monitor job
advertisements for 18 countries which come under the Emigration Check Required (ECR)
clause.
Officials said norms could be incorporated so as to enable the PoE to keep an eye on job
advertisements for Emigration Check Not Required (ECNR) countries as well.
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