New Delhi:
India will seek Lashkar terror suspect David Headley's extradition, even as investigators explore just what links, if any, Headley and his associate Tahawwur Hussain Rana had with the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, sources have told NDTV.
They said Rana was in Mumbai in November 2008 and left the city just five days before 26/11. Investigators are examining which hotel Rana stayed at, including checking if it was the Taj hotel. They are also looking into calls Rana made to Pakistan from Mumbai.
Evidence about Rana would now be shown to Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured during the 26/11 terror strikes.
The sources said India would also seek the extradition of American national David Headley.
Headley not only visited India several times between 2006 and 2009, but was also in Mumbai once after the 26/11 attacks. Among places that he visited was Agra and the Taj Mahal.
"It is true that David Headley visited several times before 26/11 and once after 26/11, and we are investigating," Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Thursday. He added that India's National Investigation agency had registered a case against both Headley and his associate Rana.
A top-level FBI team is, meanwhile, coming to India on November 18 to track Headley's movements in India between 2006 and 2009.
A Chicago court has given 60 days time to the FBI to file an indictment against Headley. The FBI requested the court to give it more time to complete investigation and file the indictment arguing that on October 18, federal agents executed four search warrants at four separate locations, and among other items of evidence, seized a number of computers.
Chief Judge James F Holderman has extended till January 1, 2010, the date of filing indictment for the national, who was arrested along with Canadian citizen of Pakistani-origin Tahawwur Hussain Rana by the FBI on charges of plotting terror attacks in India at the behest of the Lashkar.
The visiting FBI team will also discuss several other issues with Indian officials. The team's visit comes just ahead of the first anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.