Mumbai, May 26: David Coleman Headley and his Pakistani handlers thought they had a “very important” contact in Rajaram Rege who, as Shiv Sena’s supposed public relations officer, could give them “access” to the party. But Rege claims he is not even a Sena karyakarta-he is, in fact, a computer engineer and a part-time social worker. However, in emails he allegedly sent to Headley, Rege boasted of top political connections.
“I did meet Headley. I cannot deny it. But I never helped him,” Rajaram Rege told TOI on Wednesday from coastal Maharashtra where he is currently holidaying.
Rege might, however, have been hoping in 2008 to profit from his acquaintance with Headley, show emails produced in a Chicago court, where Headley is testifying against alleged 26/11 co-conspirator Tahawwur Rana.
“If any body from USA or any country wants to venture or invest in India I am the ideal person for them. Projects worth 10,000 crores sanctioned by govt. are with me. Are you getting my point???? (sic)” states an email US federal prosecutors say Rege sent to Headley on May 19, 2008.
In the same email, Rege allegedly flaunted his strong political connections. “As you know that I am politically and socially very well connected here in bombay( mumbai),Gujarat and delhi.I have very strong personnel relations with people ruling mumbai(maharashtra), Gujarat and Delhi (sic).”
The email also refers to a previous conversation between Headley and Rege about joint future projects, though it is unclear what they were.
On Thursday, a day after Headley claimed in Chicago that he gained entry into Sena Bhavan, Rege did not boast of any connections. He told TOI that he is “neither a Sena member nor a karyakarta”. “I used to visit Sena Bhavan sometimes as a social activist to help resolve people’s problems,” said Rege, adding that he could not remember why he was there at the time he first met Headley.
“Vilas Varak, a gym trainer, had come to Sena Bhavan along with Headley when I was there some time in 2008,” said Rege. “Varak introduced Headley to me, saying ‘This is my friend David Headley. He is from the US. He would like to see around the Sena Bhavan.'”
“I told him I could not help him since it is not a tourist spot. In any case, I was not authorized to show him around,” maintained the 39-year-old computer science engineer from Pune’s Dr D Y Patil Engineering College. He says he currently manages databases and websites from his house in Mahim.
It was not the last time Rege heard from Headley. “I received a call from him soon on my cell phone. He said he wanted to speak to me personally about some infrastructure project and fund raising.” Rege said, “I asked him to write me a mail and told him that I would give it a thought.”
Headley did send an email. “I replied asking him for project details. But he never mailed back. That was the last time I heard from him.”
For Shiv Sena, the whole incident is a mystery. The party went into a huddle on Thursday to find out how the mysterious ‘Sainik’ got access into the well-fortified headquarters at Dadar.
“Sena Bhavan is a political party’s office and hence a public place. It is virtually impossible to keep tabs on every person who enters the building. We are trying to find out how Rege did,” said Sanjay Raut, a Sena member of parliament.
Raut added: “Rege had no connections with the Sena. He held no post in the party and had no contacts with any key party leaders.”
Another Sena leader Divakar Borkar, who looks after the party’s day-to-day functioning, said, “With Rege himself denying any links with the Sena, the worrying question is how did he manage to visit Sena Bhavan at frequent intervals.”
Borkar says that Rege might have stepped into Sena Bhavan the first time as an acolyte of a party functionary. “We think that he may have visited the office on one or two occasions as a ‘friend’ or supporter of a Sena functionary. And then he kept coming on his own and the staffers must have let in him thinking that he is a Shiv Sainik,” Borkar said. “But the entire episode has compelled us to review our security arrangements. Henceforth, we will have to subject every visitor to scrutiny.”
Rege, it is learned, vanished from Sena headquarters after Headley did. “Rege’s sudden disappearance is a mystery too,” said another staffer.
Sena chief Bal Thackeray slammed the state government for lax security at his home Matoshree. “It is for the government to determine whether the security arrangements are strong or weak. Headley has admitted that he had visited the Kala Nagar enclave for a recce of Matoshree. This is the state of the government’s ‘tight’ security,” Thackeray said in a statement.
–Agencies