Court asks NIA to present Headley May 31

A Delhi court Tuesday asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to present May 31 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist David Coleman Headley, currently in a US jail, for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

The court Feb 18 accepted charges against Headley and eight other Pakistanis, including Pakistani Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana, for the Nov 26-29, 2008 attack that left 166 people dead.

District Judge H.S. Sharma issued fresh non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against Al Qaeda operative Illyas Kashmiri, Headley’s handler Sajid Majid, Lashkar commander Abdul Rehman Hashmi and Major Iqbal and Major Samir, the two believed were to be working for the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency.

The court listed the matter for May 31 after the NIA submitted that the earlier warrants and summons were not duly served.

Those named in the charge sheet filed by the NIA earlier included Lashkar founder Hafiz Saeed.

The NIA, probing the Lashkar-ISI conspiracy behind the Mumbai attack, registered its first information report (FIR) Nov 11, 2009 after Headley was caught by the US authorities at the Chicago airport.

The NIA said its probe established the role of Lashkar operatives and the ISI officials who provided logistical support and training to the terrorists for attacking India.