India to send team to US to gather info about Headley, Rana

However, the Indian team will not seek access to Headley and Rana.
The decision has been taken after Union Home Secretary R K Singh held a meeting with US Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security Jane Holl Lute here today.

During the Indo-US Homeland Security Dialogue, the American official conveyed to Singh that the US would share more information about Headley and Rana, their activities in India during their multiple visits and their statements before a Chicago court.

India is hopeful that the team will get more information about the duo's links with Pakistan's government machinery and militant groups working against India.

The US government has submitted before the Chicago court, where Rana was tried, that he was running an immigrantion consultancy firm and let Headley use his business as a cover for two terror plots, including the Mumbai one.

The US prosecutors said it has been proved beyond doubt that Rana was involved in these attacks.

"Rana provided material support to terrorists for attacks in India. There is no dispute that there was a conspiracy to bomb and kill in India. It is crystal clear that Headley along with Sajid Mir and Pasha (or Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed (a retired major from the Pakistani Army) planned and executed the Mumbai terror attacks."

Rana knew that Lashkar was a terrorist organisation and had agreed to provide material support for terror attacks in India. "The evidence in this case is overwhelming," the US Attorney had said during the trial of Rana.

The US court, however, acquitted Rana of the charges of plotting the 2008 Mumbai attacks but held him guilty of supporting Pakistan-based terror group LeT and planning a strike in Denmark.