US, India Holding Discussions on Access to Headley: Counsel
The US and India are holding discussions on access to Lashkar operative David Coleman Headley who has admitted his role in the Mumbai terror attacks and agreed to be interrogated by Indian investigators, said media reports.
“Those discussions (of providing Indian investigators access to Headley) are going on between our government and the Indian government at this time. It is part of the plea agreement that Headley would cooperate with Indian authorities,” Pakistani-American Headley’s lawyer John Theis was quoted as saying.
The counsel, nevertheless, didn’t comment on how much time it might take before Indian investigators get a date to interrogate Headley, reports said.
“Those kind of discussions will happen without the media knowing the specifics of time and place,” he was quoted as saying.
Revealing that he is not involved in discussions between the US and India on access to Headley, Theis said that he however expected to be present when Headley is questioned, said reports.
“I would expect to be present anytime that my client is interviewed by law enforcement officials, be it from India, US or any other country,” he was quoted as saying.
He declined to disclose any further details, reports said.
Headley had last month pleaded guilty to plotting the Mumbai attacks and avoided the death penalty and extradition to India, Pakistan and Denmark by agreeing to be interrogated by foreign agencies on US soil.
The US has said that it is working ‘at the highest level’ to provide India access to Headley, who had scouted targets for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks during his several trips to India.
(Based on internet reports)
