Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam leaves for the US to explore the issue of access to Headley
merisarkar news service
New Delhi, April 24, 2010
Solicitor General leaves for the US
Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam on Saturday left for the US capital Washington D.C. to discuss the legal modalities with the US authorities to secure the access to Pakistani Born American citizen David Coleman Headley who has confessed his involvement in 26/11 attacks.
Solicitor General's five-day visit is meant to understand the US legal system through which India could get access to Headley.
Mr. Subramaniam will discuss with officials of the US Justice Department modalities for access to Headley in an appropriate legal format.
India wants to question Headley in a manner that his statement would be acceptable in a court of law. In this regard, a chargesheet would also be required to be filed against Headley in India.
The issue was also discussed when National Security Adviser Shvishankar Menon met his US counterpart James Jones subsequently.
Sources later said that India has got "very high-level" assurances from the US Government that it will get access to David Coleman Headley.
Govt. sends SG to find ways to access Headley
Headley, who was arrested in October last, has entered into a plea bargain with the US government wherein he has offered to be available to foreign investigators through deposition, video conferencing or letters rogatory.
Subramaniam had earlier advised the government to settle for nothing less than Headley's extradition to ensure his thorough custodial interrogation.
Headley has told his America interrogators that he had several times conducted reconnaissance for the Mumbai attacks. He has also revealed that a serving Pakistani Army Major had given training to him in Pakistan.
Indian authorities want unhindered access to Headley to unravel the entire conspiracy regarding the Mumbai attacks and plans for further attacks by the LeT – known as Karachi project.
