In a change in strategy, India has sought to charge Tahawwur Rana — a close associate of >David Coleman Headley and who is also charged in the 2008 Mumbai attacks — for conspiring to attack the National Defence College here and Chabad Houses (Jewish religious centres) in various cities.
A fresh request for extradition of Rana, who gave Headley a base in Mumbai, has been sent to the U.S., a senior government official said.
The National Investigation Agency’s decision comes after its failure to get the custody of Headley, conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Rana is serving a 14-year term in the U.S. for giving material support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), but he has not entered into a plea bargain, as Headley has done. “Rana is serving a sentence for aiding the LeT in the 26/11 attacks, but we have renewed our plea to the U.S. authorities for access on the ground that he was also part of the conspiracy to attack the National Defence College in Delhi and Chabad Houses in several cities. He has not been held guilty of this crime in the U.S., and this will in no way affect the double jeopardy clause … We have sent a fresh extradition request,” the official said.
The double jeopardy clause in the U.S. law prohibits punishment for the same crime twice.
Rana, a Chicago businessman, helped Headley open an immigration company in Mumbai, and this served as a cover for him to conduct reconnaissance of targets that were attacked on November 26, 2008.
Rana, a school friend of Headley in Pakistan, was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to 14 years in prison for providing material support to the LeT, which was behind the 2008 attacks.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Headley visited India again in March 2009 to conduct more surveillance, including of the NDC in Delhi and Chabad Houses.
Forgery case “We also have a case of forgery against Rana and have informed the U.S. authorities of it. He had opened the immigration centre in Mumbai for Headley on fake documents,” the official said.
Headley had entered into a plea bargain with the U.S and is deposing as a witness before a Mumbai court in a case against Zabiuddin Ansari, alias Abu Jundal, a key man who was present in the control room set up in Karachi to guide the 10 LeT terrorists who entered India through the sea.
