US authorities mum on Headley interrogation issue

Yoshita Singh and Himani Gupta
Chicago, June 2 (PTI) As a team of Indian investigators
arrived in the US to question for the first time LeT operative
David Headley, authorities here are tight-lipped about when
and for how long the access will be granted to the Pakistani-
American who has confessed to his role in the Mumbai attacks.
The US Attorney's office spokesperson here, Randall
Samborn, said he does not have any comment on Headley's
interrogation, adding if and when the US government has
anything to say on the issue, it will be announced.
An FBI Chicago spokesperson also said that due to
security reasons, no information will be released at this
point regarding when and how the Indian team would be given
access to 49-year-old Headley, who is currently being held at
the federal lock up 'Metropolitan Correctional Centre'.
Headley's lawyer John Theis too said that he cannot
comment on till when the team would stay in the US for the
interrogation. He quipped it may stay for as much time as it
needed to complete the questioning.
"At this time, I really cannot share any information about
the meeting... I have seen news reports that India and US will
give a joint statement regarding the interrogation," he told
PTI.
The team from India arrived in the US Tuesday to
interrogate Headley, charged with helping Lashkar-e-Taiba
terrorists to carry out the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The team comprises officers of the National Investigation
Agency and a law officer. Besides the Indian team, those
expected to be present during the questioning would be
Headley's lawyer and an officer of the FBI.
The questioning of Headley is going to revolve around the
places he had visited after the Mumbai terror attacks and the
people he had remained in touch with during his stay in India.
US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer, who is in
Washington for the maiden bilateral strategic dialogue, was
also tight-lipped about the questioning of Headley by Indian
investigators, but hoped that the access to the
Pakistani-American LeT operative would "soon" be granted.
He told reporters at a reception hosted by the US-India
Business Council that access to Headley is "symbolic" of the
extraordinary cooperation between India and the United States.
PTI YAS/HG
MRD