India asks US for statements of Headley's wife, associates

India has asked the United States to provide statements of 13 people associated with Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist David Headley and his accomplice in Mumbai terror attack case Tahawwur Hussain Rana as they could be potential witnesses.

Highly placed government sources said during the third Indo-US strategic dialogue held in Washington last week, India actively pursued the issues related to the 26/11 attack, the involvement of Headley and Rana in it and sought America's cooperation to take the case to its logical conclusion.

While reminding about the Letters Rogatory sent by India, New Delhi asked Washington to provide statements of 13 people, including Headley's wife Shazia, a few of his friends, close associates of Rana and US government officials known to the LeT terrorist.

"These 13 people are potential witnesses in the NIA case filed against Headley and Rana," the sources said. The US told India that they would consider New Delhi's request but conveyed that one or two people are currently based in Canada.

The request was made by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to his American counterpart Hillary Clinton during the Indo-US strategic dialogue.

Krishna had said, "India's interest in further access to Headley and Rana, in accordance with our legal procedures, for the investigations into the Mumbai terror attack of November 2008, was raised" during the talks.

The National Investigation Agency on December 24, 2011 had chargesheeted Headley and Rana for allegedly entering into criminal conspiracy with LeT to commit terrorist acts in Delhi and other places in India.