The question of direct Indian access to David Headley — the self-confessed Lashkar-e-Taiba operative arraigned by a Chicago court for his role in the Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 2008 — will figure in bilateral talks with the U.S. this week.
Senior Indian officials confirmed that National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon would be raising the matter with his American counterpart, General James Jones, this week. The officials said India's preference was still for Headley's extradition. “But short of that, we want direct access to him… We have to make sure his evidence is usable in an Indian court,” a senior official told reporters.
He added that it was important for due legal processes in both countries to be completed properly. “The fact is that two legal systems are at work here, which is not a recipe for quick results.”
