New Delhi, November 12
India will seek extradition of the arrested US national David Headley and his associate Tahawwur Hussian Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, for plotting terror attacks in the country. The National Investigative Agency (NIA) has registered a case against Headley and Rana. “They have been booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and for conspiring to wage war against the country,” Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters here this morning.

Sources in the Home Ministry confirmed that India will seek the extradition of the duo for their role in plotting terror strikes, while adding “there was enough evidence to show Headley’s link to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Contrary to the reports originating from America that Headley and Rana used to travel separately to India, officials confirmed that the duo travelled together to key defence and strategic locations in Kochi and Pune in 2008.

Kochi has the naval ship yard where India’s sea-borne aircraft carrier, the INS Viraat, was undergoing a refit at that time. Pune has major air base housing the Sukhois, the frontline fighter jets, a major Army base and also the National Defence Academy.

Sources said the government will produce the documents pertaining to Headley and Rana’s visits before the US court in January next year and press for their extradition to India. The formal plea will be made when the FBI presses for charges in a US court in January. Headley was also in touch with the cadres of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and also the Indian Mujahideen. “We have the evidence and will press for his extradition,” an official added. Headley also visited Kochi, Delhi, Lucknow, Agra and Mumbai during his stay in India.

The investigators are also probing whether Headley and his accomplice Rana, also arrested in the US, were involved in the 26/11 terror attack. A person in contact with Headley and Rana has been named by the FBI as “contact -A” in its investigations. “This was being verified. The investigators will take nearly a week to finish their work,” said an official. Nearly 50 teams with some of the best anti-terrorism investigators are on the job, he added.

Meanwhile, Chidambaram, while talking to mediapersons after the meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs, today said Headley had visited India “several times before 26/11 and once after” the Mumbai terror strikes. “We are trying to find out whom he met and what he did,” added the Home Minister.