A sketch showing terror suspect David Coleman Headley (orange shirt) appearing in a court in Chicago. PTIThe decision of a Mumbai court to make David Coleman Headley an approver in the Mumbai terror attack case has put the role of government agencies in the spotlight. Some government officials credit the National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, a former director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), for lobbying with the U.S. authorities to ensure Headley co operated with the trial by video conference.
The Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi govenments had tried to persuade the US to extradite Headley for facing trial in the terror attacks unleashed in Mumbai on November 26, 2008 by Mohammed Kasab and his band of suicide killers.
During the UPA regime, a team of investigators from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and intelligence agencies had interrogated Headley, who is of Pakistani origin, in the US as part of cooperation between the two countries in investigating terrorist groups and individuals.
Headley, whose original name is Daood Gilani, has confessed that he had visited Mumbai on a reconnaissance mission to identify the spots where terrorist attacks would be unleashed. Headley also confessed that he had provided detailed maps to terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Headley had been trained by LeT in Pakistan, but he had also worked as an undercover agent for US drug enforcement agency on a mission related to the large scale drug smuggling through Afghanistan's porous borders with Pakistan.
He also confessed that he had visited Mumbai after the attacks. Another city in which he had done reconnaissance for Pakistan-based terror groups was Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.
Indian investigators have considered Headley as a key conspirator who should be brought to trial, as his testimony would help nail LeT masterminds including Hafeez Sayeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who are in custody of Pakistan authorities.
Pakistan has refused to hand them over to India for trial in Mumbai, saying there is no direct evidence. India was banking on Headley to provide crucial evidence. Though the Mumbai court, after a video conference with Headley, agreed to his plea to become an approver who will be a witness for the investigation, the NIA is pursuing another case against Headley, accusing him of waging war against India.
But officials say Headley had entered into a plea bargain with US agencies after his arrest in 2009. Accordingly, Washington had agreed he would not be extradited to India or Denmark. The Obama administration, which had claimed credit for arresting Headley, also wants Pakistan to take action against terrorist groups and their masterminds.
This had been discussed with Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Army chief Raheel Sharif, who had also visited Washington recently. Doval's style of operations is starkly different from his predecessor Shivshankar Menon. Doval has a police service background while Menon is from IFS.
Admirers have likened Doval as James Bond for his role in securing extradition of fugitives from law from countries including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
Doval also played a major role in the extradition of underworld don Chhota Rajan from Australia through Indonesia.
The NSA is credited with quiet exchange of criminals wanted by these countries and also for giving critical intelligence to these countries on important domestic cases of crime and terrorism.
Doval is also working on netting the elusive Dawood Ibrahim, India's most wanted man. For years, Indian agencies have been trying to get hold of Dawood,wanted for acts of terrorism in Mumbai following the demolition of the Babri Masjid 23 years ago.
Tailpiece: Even as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh prepare for the annual conference of state police chiefs in Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, speculation is rife about the venue of the conference to be held next year. Last year, Modi had shifted the conference from Delhi for the first time to Guwahati. The 2016 edition may be held in Ladakh or Andaman.
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