Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) told a special court here Saturday that they needed to probe the role of Pakistani-American David Headley’s second wife in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case. The court put off to Feb 4 the hearing on the formal set of charges filed against nine accused.

Headley and eight others have been accused of planning and executing terror strikes in India, including the Mumbai carnage.

The NIA told Special Judge H.S. Sharma that it needed to investigate the role of Headley’s second wife Faiza Outalha, who had visited India twice. Headley visited India around nine times and allegedly shared information regarding the country with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and other terror groups.

“Arguments on the question of taking cognisance (of the charges) had been advanced at length by the NIA…rguments remained inconclusive,” said the court.

“Put up for Feb 4 for further hearing,” the court said.

The NIA earlier applied for sending letter rogatory - a letter of request - to a foreign government for help in investigation.

The judge said arguments on the Jan 7 application have been heard and would be taken up for further hearing Feb 4.

“The target of the LeT and officials of Pakistani Army (who are accused in the case) were Indians and tourists. Their target was tourist places like Goa and Mumbai where they had done recee several times,” said Special Public Prosecutor Dayan Krishnan, adding that the role of Headley in the terror strikes had been detailed in the charge sheet.

The NIA Dec 24 last year formally filed charges against seven Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including Lashkar founder Hafiz Saeed, Headley and two alleged officials of the Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan for their role in the carnage. They have been accused of waging war against India.

Headley, who is undergoing trial in a US court, entered into a plea bargain with the American judicial authorities under which he cannot be extradited to any country, including India.