NIA calls for quizzing Headley's ex-wife

Outalha can give evidence to nail LeT boss Saeed

In order to procure more information on Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley and LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, New Delhi has now sent a formal request to Morocco for examination and recording of statement of Faiza Outalha, the estranged wife of David Headley.

The Letters Rogatory was sent recently to the Indian Mission in Rabat, the Moroccan capital city, which was passed on to Moroccan Foreign and Cooperation Ministry requesting access to Outalha to record her statement, official sources said.

The sources said Outalha, could give crucial evidence in nailing the lies of Saeed, the Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) boss who has been attempting to throw a veil over his terror activities under the garb of being associated with the humanitarian activities of Jamaat-ul-Dawa(JuD).

The request was passed on following the approval of a plea of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for seeking cooperation of the Moroccan authorities in recording her statement, which was also likely to be annexed with the production warrant for Headley to be sent soon as the special court of H S Sharma has sought his appearance on May 31.

The sources said while it was unlikely that Headley would be brought to India, the statement of Outulha would bring out the role played by Saeed in 26/11 attacks in Mumbai that left over 160 people including foreigners dead.

A witness

Outalha, during her stay in Pakistan, had met Saeed and complained about Headley to him and besides that she had also gone to the US Embassy in Islamabad to complain against the American-born terrorist and his role with terror groups like LeT and Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami, the sources said, adding her statement would be recorded as a witness.

Outalha, who married the 50-year-old Headley in February 2007 and divorced a year later, had been able to give security agencies an insight into the personal life of Headley which included connections he had in Mumbai, including with some socialites.

She had flown to Mumbai from Karachi and crossed over through Wagah border into India the second time. She had come for the first time in 2007 and stayed with the terror suspect in Taj Mahal Hotel and later in Oberoi-Trident. Both the luxury hotels were targeted by the terrorists during the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008. She had again come in May 2008 via Wagah and went straight to Manali where she was on a holiday near a Jewish house and later toured some areas of Shimla including nearby Kufri, a popular tourist destination.

While she claimed that she had since been divorced as Headley was allegedly having relations with several women, the investigators also got information from her about his (David Headley’s) alleged links with some upcoming Bollywood actors, prominent party-hoppers of Mumbai and socialites.