Rahul, Vilas Likely to Be Used as Witnesses after they Get Clean Chit

After receiving clean chit from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt’s son Rahul Bhatt and his friend Vilas Warak are likely to be used as vital witness in the case concerning the US-based suspected Laskhar terrorist of Pakistani origin David Coleman Headley.

Reports said that the NIA was not treating Bhatt and Warak as suspects, they couldn’t clean them outrightly. The process would take some time, for there were different facets of the entire investigation which demanded lengthy verification exercises.

“Once they get the clean chit, the prosecution will use them as witnesses during the possible trial of the case in India. They may even be required by the FBI as witnesses during the trial of the case in US,” reports said quoting an official.

It should be noted that during his stay in Mumbai, Headley had first made friend with Vilas, a gym trainer, and then had contacted Rahul, also a gym trainer, through Vilas and kept in touch with them during his stay in Mumbai.

“Currently, efforts are on to ascertain if Rahul or others had unknowingly helped Headley,” the official said.

NIA has been scanning Headley’s contacts through screening his casual acquaintances, cellphone and email records. The agency has been in touch with a number of people in different cities to verify certain details which have emerged during the ongoing probe.

Rahul’s name had appeared when Headley in his email to his Pakistan-based Lashkar handler wrote on July 8: “I think when we get a chance we should revisit our last location again and say hi to Rahul.”

Referring to the communication, FBI special agent Loranzo Benedict told a Chicago court last month that from a review of Headley’s various emails, it is clear that ‘Rahul’ refers to a prominent Indian actor with the first name ‘Rahul’.