Chicago plotter visited Pune too: NIA

The FIR filed by the NIA against Headley and Rana directly implicates them for “committing terrorist acts in New Delhi and other places in India.”

The FIR,lodged in the Patiala House courts today,states that besides Delhi and Mumbai,Headley also visited Pune “and conducted surveillance of potential targets for future terrorist attacks”.

But it makes no mention of the role of the two terror suspects in the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai and states that it was Rana who “introduced his contacts to Headley and Headley thereafter travelled to India several times under the guise of various persons.”

Headley has been described by the NIA as a resident as Chicago and Rana,a Pakistani also based in the same city and someone who was engaged in different business activities.

The FIR states that the agency received “credible information” that the duo entered into a “criminal conspiracy” with the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the HUJI,both of which are based in Pakistan and declared as terrorist organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by the Indian government.

During his trips to India,Headley is alleged to have used false identities,supplied false identities and papers to authorities in India.

Offences,it is alleged,were committed by them “along with others” which are punishable under Sections 121 A and Section 18 of the UAPA and Section 6(2) of the SAARC Convention (Suppression of Terrorism Act 1993) as well as Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code.

After registering the FIR,officials in the NIA were planning the investigation strategy and proposed to immediately visit Mumbai and Pune where Headley,using a false identity,was alleged to have selected targets for terror strikes.

Meanwhile,the US Embassy in India,clarified that neither FBI Director Robert S Mueller nor any FBI team was visiting India in connection with the case.

With two more cities,Pune and Kochi,getting added to the list of five cities (Delhi,Mumbai,Ahmedabad,Lucknow and Agra) which Headley was said to have visited,Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said that inquiries were being made in the cities to ascertain “what he did and whom he met”.

Adding that two more arrests had been made in Pakistan following FBI inputs in the matter,Chidambaram clarified that the Indian team that recently returned from the US had gone to Washington and not Chicago where Headley had been kept in custody. He said the Indian team had “good discussions” with the FBI.

Indian investigators are trying to connect the dots of the nine visits Headley made to India between 2006 and 2009,the last one being made in April this year. Efforts are on to establish Headley and Rana’s role,if any,in plotting the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes. “The process of verification of Headley’s visits to India between 2006 and 2009 was on and we will be able to give a clear picture only after a week,” a senior MHA official said.