26/11 Mumbai attack: NIA records statements of witnesses

New Delhi: Piecing together the jigsaw of 26/11 Mumbai attacks NIA has recorded statements of some of the witnesses in connection with the conspiracy hatched by

David Headley and others to carry out the terror strikes in the country's financial capital in 2008.

The statements were recorded with the help of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Department of Justice over a period of nearly 10 days, official sources said, adding this is the first time that such cooperation took place between India and the US in the case.

Due to non-disclosure clause entered with FBI, NIA did not name the witnesses whose statements have been recorded but India had been pressing for questioning of wife of Pakistani-American Headley's wife Shahzia Gilani and other friends.

Headley, a 53-year-old Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist is at present undergoing 35 years of imprisonment on various counts including involvement in the conspiracy to carry out the audacious attack in Mumbai that left 166 people dead.

Besides Headley's wife Shazia, India had made request for questioning of Portia Peter and one more female friend and Tahawuur Rana, alleged to be an accomplice of Headley in the Mumbai terror strike.

The witness statements will help NIA to substantiate charges filed before a Delhi court in 2012 against top Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders alleged to have been involved in organising the 26/11 plot.

India had requested for statements of witnesses from the US in 2010 under a mutual legal assistance treaty but the process got stalled as America refused thye presence of Indian investigators during the recording of the statements.

The matter was resolved after discussions between the two sides. India believes that Rana, Shazia and others have a lot of information and through their interrogations more light may be thrown on the conspiracy hatched to carry out the worst terrorist strike in India and role of those behind it.

Headley had pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism charges, including his involvement in the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. He had, however, entered into plea bargain with US authorities.

The focus of NIA team's visit to the US was to gather more details about Canadian-Pakistani Rana, who has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for his involvement in the conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist plot in Denmark and giving material support to Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Rana was convicted for conspiracy to provide material support to a plot from October 2008 to October 2009 to commit murder in Denmark, including a horrific plan to behead employees of Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper, and throw their heads on to the street in Copenhagen, as well as giving material support, from late 2005 to October 2009, to LeT.

However, the American court could not find any evidence against him for his role in the Mumbai attacks.

NIA named him as an accused in the conspiracy behind the attacks as he had visited India ahead of the Mumbai strikes and had also provided a cover of an immigration office to Headley in Mumbai. The NIA team's visit was to gain more information about Rana so that an extradition request could be processed.