FBI chief to arrive in India to probe Headley case

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) chief Robert Mueller will be visiting New Delhi next week to probe the India links of David Coleman Headley, the Pakistan born American national in custody in the US for allegedly plotting terror attacks.

Mueller, who will be heading a team of investigators days ahead of the first anniversary of the Nov 26 Mumbai terror strike, will probe Headley's network in India and also establish his links with the Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), intelligence officials here said.

Information provided by the FBI has revealed that Headley operated a visa agency in Mumbai for almost two years until July 2008 and had travelled to India on business visas nine times between 2006 and 2009.

"They might be travelling to some of cities where Headley visited while he was here. Since a Chicago court has given a 60-day deadline to the FBI to complete its investigations in the case and file an indictment, they want to move fast in the case," said an intelligence official.

Headley and his alleged accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, are being held on charges of plotting attacks in India at the behest of the LeT.

Intelligence shared by the FBI following the interrogation of Headley revealed that two of India's most prestigious boarding schools - Doon in Dehradun and Woodstock in Mussoorie - and the National Defence College in New Delhi were supposed targets of the LeT.

A team of intelligence officials from the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Intelligence Bureau had flown into Washington Nov 1 to question Headley.

The team was keen to find out if Headley was in touch with the masterminds of the LeT and if he attended any of the training camps the 10 Pakistan-based terrorists went through for the 26/11 attack.

But apparently objections from the accused's lawyer questioning a foreign agency's involvement in the interrogation came in the way.