New Delhi:
Investigators on the trail of David Coleman Headley have confronted new evidence that suggests the terror suspect was in touch with an American who stayed in India for nine years on a tourist visa. The American allegedly ran a massage parlour in Goa.
Recently, India announced that it was introducing stricter new rules for foreigners spending lengthy periods of time in India. Foreigners now have to leave the country every 180 days and spend at least two months outside India if they want to return. The US has expressed its concern over whether these new guidelines will adversely affect American tourists to India.
Headley, an American citizen, was arrested by the FBI in Chicago in early October. He has been charged in a US court with helping to plan and execute the 26/11 attacks in India as an undercover agent of terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Headley made eight trips to India between 2006 and 2008 before 26/11. During his trips to Mumbai, he stayed at the Taj and the Trident, which would later be attacked by Pakistani terrorists in India's worst terror attack. Headley also visited India in March this year, allegedly to plan new terror strikes against India.
Earlier this month, there was controversy over whether Headley's visa papers were missing from the Chicago consulate, which issued him a five-year multiple-entry business visa in 2007. Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, told the media Headley's documents were missing. This was denied by other government officials. The papers were then located at the Consulate in Chicago and have since been sent to India. They could help investigators piece together who Headley interacted with as he travelled across India planning new offensives.
Tharoor has now tweeted his criticism over his own ministry's new rules for visas to India. Tharoor's multiple tweets state "Tough visa restrictions in hope of better security or openness and liberality to encourage tourism and goodwill? I prefer latter... Issue is not security vs tourism, but whether visa restrictions protect our security; 26/11 killers had no visas...Visa arrangements are reciprocal. The more restrictive we become, the tougher it will be for Indians to travel freely."
Tharoor's penchant for discussing government policy on Twitter have landed him in serious trouble in the past. When Sonia Gandhi asked ministers to observe an austerity drive by flying economy instead of first class, Tharoor tweeted his thoughts on flying "cattle-class." The remark incensed politicians and the public, and the Prime Minister had to step in on his behalf, attributing the tweet to misguided humour.
Recently, India announced that it was introducing stricter new rules for foreigners spending lengthy periods of time in India. Foreigners now have to leave the country every 180 days and spend at least two months outside India if they want to return. The US has expressed its concern over whether these new guidelines will adversely affect American tourists to India.
Headley, an American citizen, was arrested by the FBI in Chicago in early October. He has been charged in a US court with helping to plan and execute the 26/11 attacks in India as an undercover agent of terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Headley made eight trips to India between 2006 and 2008 before 26/11. During his trips to Mumbai, he stayed at the Taj and the Trident, which would later be attacked by Pakistani terrorists in India's worst terror attack. Headley also visited India in March this year, allegedly to plan new terror strikes against India.
Earlier this month, there was controversy over whether Headley's visa papers were missing from the Chicago consulate, which issued him a five-year multiple-entry business visa in 2007. Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, told the media Headley's documents were missing. This was denied by other government officials. The papers were then located at the Consulate in Chicago and have since been sent to India. They could help investigators piece together who Headley interacted with as he travelled across India planning new offensives.
Tharoor has now tweeted his criticism over his own ministry's new rules for visas to India. Tharoor's multiple tweets state "Tough visa restrictions in hope of better security or openness and liberality to encourage tourism and goodwill? I prefer latter... Issue is not security vs tourism, but whether visa restrictions protect our security; 26/11 killers had no visas...Visa arrangements are reciprocal. The more restrictive we become, the tougher it will be for Indians to travel freely."
Tharoor's penchant for discussing government policy on Twitter have landed him in serious trouble in the past. When Sonia Gandhi asked ministers to observe an austerity drive by flying economy instead of first class, Tharoor tweeted his thoughts on flying "cattle-class." The remark incensed politicians and the public, and the Prime Minister had to step in on his behalf, attributing the tweet to misguided humour.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
