US assures Chidambaram of early access to Headley

New Delhi : India will have early access to David Headley to interrogate him, possibly in a pre-trial stage, for his role in the Mumbai terror attacks, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said yesterday disclosing that a top official of the US justice department had assured him of this.

Attorney General and head of the US Justice Department Eric Holder called up Chidambaram on Friday, hours after Laskhar operative Headley pleaded guilty to terror charges in a Chicago court to escape extradition to India.

Chidambaram said that he was "happy" the conversation "clarified a number of aspects concerning the plea agreement" Headley entered into with prosecutors in the US according to which he could not be extradited to any foreign country and also cannot be given the death sentence.

"It is my understanding that India would be able to obtain access to David Coleman Headley to question him in a properly constituted judicial proceeding.

"Such a judicial proceeding could be either pre-trial or during an inquiry or trial. It is also my understanding that Headley is obliged to cooperate fully and truthfully in such proceedings," the home minister said in a statement.

Quick start

He said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which had registered a case against Headley and his associate Tahawwur Hussain Rana, was yesterday "directed to quickly prepare the documents necessary to start a judicial proceeding in which Indian authorities could require Headley to answer questions and/or to testify".

He said another aspect of the plea agreement was of "enormous significance" for India because it indicts some people in Pakistan.

"The plea agreement is the most damning indictment of the role played by certain persons in Pakistan. He has admitted to attending training camps organised by the LeT ... and meeting in Pakistan with various co-conspirators and being privy to the [Mumbai] attacks and the despatch of a team of attackers by sea."

In denial

"Pakistan," the home minister said, "was in a state of denial for many months after the attacks of 26/11."

"The plea agreement should spur Pakistan to take action against all the conspirators and bring them to justice. Nothing short of that will be acceptable to India or will satisfy world opinion." he added.

In a two-day trip to New Delhi, US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake assured authorities of cooperation in the Headley case.

Indian investigators will be given access to Headley, but he won't be extradited to India on current charges, Blake said yesterday.

"The other question that has been raised is whether Indian investigators will be allowed access to Headley to learn more about his involvement in the planning of the Mumbai attacks, and the answer to that is yes," Blake told reporters.