The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday withdrew from a court here its application that sought issuance of non-bailable warrants (NBW) against David Coleman Headley, Tahawwur Hussain Rana and six others for plotting attacks in India.
It, however, filed a fresh application seeking NBWs against the six others. Among them is Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed.
Justifying the exclusion of Headley and Rana before District and Sessions Judge S.P. Garg at the Patiala House court here, the NIA said its officers received access to interrogate Headley and Rana, who were now in custody in the United States. India had an extradition treaty with the U.S.
The six others were residents of Pakistan, with which India had no extradition treaty. Counsel for the NIA argued that an NBW would help in their arrest, either through issuance of an Interpol Red-Corner Notice or through diplomatic channels. One of the provisions for issuing an Interpol Red-Corner Notice was the issuance of warrant for arrest. The NIA submitted the case diary to the court for its perusal.
The Judge said the court would take up the matter for hearing on July 20.
Besides Saeed, the others against whom the NIA sought issuance of NBWs are: Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Karachi residents Sajid Mir alias Wasi and Abdur Rehman Hashim and the Pakistan Army's Major Iqbal and Major Sameer Ali.
