Man linked to 26/11 terror attack accused David Headley held for recce of TMC MP Abhishek’s house: cops

“Today, our officers arrested Rajaram Rege from Mahim in Mumbai. He had visited Kolkata, stayed here, and conducted a recce of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s offices and residence. He had obtained the mobile phone numbers of Banerjee and his PA, and tried to contact them,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (I) Murlidhar Sharma.

The arrest comes a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of conspiring against her and nephew Abhishek Banerjee, and said they were “not safe”.

Rege was taken to Kolkata Monday afternoon and booked under various IPC sections, including criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation, and under provisions of the IT Act and the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order Act.

Rege’s name had first emerged during the 26/11 attack probe for links with Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Headley ahead of the attack that killed 174 people in Mumbai. In his deposition as a prosecution witness in a Chicago court, Headley said he had visited Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar in central Mumbai, and met Rege.

“Rege was affiliated to the Shiv Sena and had been used by David Headley who came to India to conduct a recce of the sites that were to be targeted in 26/11 attacks of 2008. To get access to the Sena Bhavan, which was on the list of targets that the LeT wanted to attack, Headley was in touch with Rege from the US,” a senior officer of Mumbai Police said.

The police had then said that Rege was unaware of Headley’s intention and thought he could make money from his association with him.

A senior Kolkata Police officer said they launched an investigation after Rege was spotted in Kolkata earlier this month.

“Rege tried to get in touch with the PA of Abhishek Banerjee. From April 18 to 20, he stayed at a hotel in Kolkata’s Shakespeare Sarani area before returning to Mumbai,” the officer said.

An FIR was registered on Sunday on the basis of a specific complaint, the officer said.

“We have inputs of who Rege was in contact with. All of them are under the scanner. We are also checking whether he was keeping any contact with any political party,” the Kolkata Police officer said.

In its chargesheet filed in September last year against 26/11 terror accused Tahawwur Rana, the Pakistan-origin Canadian businessman, the Mumbai Police crime branch had included an email Headley allegedly sent him. In the email, Headley had asked what is to be done about Rege, whose help he had sought by claiming to be a tourist. In a second email, Headley had added the address of ‘Major Iqbal’ from ISI, asking Rana to check with him regarding Rege.

“Rege was instrumental in connecting Headley with a political party. As there is a similarity between the two instances, there is apprehension of some conspiracy of sabotage and threat to the life of the TMC MP (Abhishek). We are investigating all possible angles. We are trying to find out if Rege has any links with terror groups,” said a senior officer of Kolkata Police.