India insists US allow access to Headley for interrogation

Bangalore, Mar 24 (PTI) India Wednesday insisted that US
must provide a direct access to its investigators to
interrogate Pakistani-American David Headley, who has
confessed to plotting the Mumbai terror attacks.
"....one day or the other, (the) US will have to agree
and expedite the issue that Headley will have to undergo
interrogation by our agencies", India's Law Minister M
Veerappa Moily told reporters, a day after Washington said no
decision has been taken to this effect.
Asked if the US denying access to Indian investigators is
"unfair" and "unjustified" as the Indian government had
allowed the FBI to interrogate gunman Ajmal Kasab in Mumbai,
he said "we don't want to pass a value judgement on their
policy and matter".
But Moily added: "But this is a matter we need to hard
press our argument and you know we have a strong bargaining
and tell them (the US) what's necessary...we have to make a
strong case which we have already made out. Here (Mumbai
attacks) he (Headley) is involved, he is really involved".
Four days after US Assistant Secretary of State for South
Asia Robert Blake publicly stated in Delhi that Indian
investigators would have an access to Headley, US Ambassador
Timothy J Roemer in a statement Tuesday said "no decision on
direct access for India to David Headley has been made."
Sources in India's Home Ministry had said on Monday India
is likely to send a team of investigators in April to question
49-year-old Headley. PTI