New Delhi, March 19
Even as certain aspects of the plea-bargain agreement between terror suspect David Headley and the US government have left India uncomfortable, a chargesheet will be filed against Headley. This will be the first step in seeking access to question Headley besides getting him to testify in Indian courts, possibly through video-conferencing.

US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Robert Blake tonight chose to cool down tempers saying: India will have “full access” to all information on Headley, who pleaded guilty to all 12 terror charges in a Chicago court yesterday, including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Blake is on a visit to Afghanistan and India.

However, unlike India, security agencies of Denmark, probing a separate case against Headley, have already been allowed access, at least once.

Sources confirmed that today Indian officials have discussed the agreement submitted in the court and found it was worrisome as it says “… If he (Headley) cooperates fully, then downward revision of his sentence can be considered. It was also noted that the agreement does not name the people with whom he was in contact in the Pakistan Army or the ISI.

Sources here said the government believes that Headley will get a sentence in excess of 20 years in US prison. That would be more what the quantum of punishment he could have got under the Indian law. He is a conspirator in the Mumbai attacks and not the actual attacker like Ajmal Kasab, said a source while explaining that “life sentence for Headley would be fine”.

The chargesheet could be filed in mid May, said sources. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram today said he did not view the plea-bargain agreement as a ‘setback’. The US has provided “significant amount of information”.