Panaji, December 28: The officials investigating the 26/11 case on Monday claimed to have traced detained US national and terror suspect David Headley’s Goa connection.
The top officials of the National Investigating Agency (NIA) have claimed that Headley was in constant touch with a person, who has been living in Goa for the past nine years in disguise.
The man in question is believed to be part of Headley’ pan-India network and a member of militant outfit LeT’s sleeper cell.
The investigators have also obtained information suggesting that Headley’s close aide was running several business including bear bars, massage parlours in Goa.
At the moment, the man has managed to escape arrest.
The identity of the person has not been revealed considering the sensitive nature of the case and the officials are trying to obtain more clues about his whereabouts.
Headley’s aide is said to be an American national, who has come to India on a tourist visa.
However, he has been living in the country for a long time by taking advantage of the loopholes in existing visa rules.
The development also calls for major changes in visa regulations in the backdrop of the David Headley case and making India a “less welcoming” destination.
The Union Home Ministry has tightened visa regulations in the wake of multi-entry visas given to Pakistani-American Headley and Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana, both arrested in the US for plotting terror attacks against India which has prompted criticism from the US and British governments.
The development has come a day after the US investigating agency FBI turned down India’s request for extradition of terror suspect David Headley.
The FBI has politely turned down India’s request for extradition of terror suspect David Headley to this country on the ground he will have to first undergo a sentence which could be imposed on him in the US for the offences committed if convicted.
—Agencies