Did Headley really name Ishrat?

Seeking to give a political twist to the raging controversy over Ishrat Jahan's alleged terror links, Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Friday (July 5) asked the Union Home Ministry to clarify whether she had any link with Pakistan- based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. Singh, who met Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, told reporters that he has asked the ministry to clarify whether 26/11 terror attack accused David Headley had said that Ishrat, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat nine years ago, had terror links.

He said National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have given different statements on the issue. "NIA is saying something, IB is saying something and CBI is saying something else. There should be clarity on what these government agencies are saying. Media sources should also be investigated. They are spreading panic in the nation," Singh said.

Headley, who had recced the 26/11 targets in Mumbai, was questioned by the NIA in 2010 as part of its investigation in the Mumbai terror attack case when he was in the US custody. Reports suggested that NIA investigators initially said that Headley had disclosed that LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, had told him (Headley) in 2005 of a terror operation that had failed in India as Ishrat and those assigned with her had died.

This information was reportedly in the interrogation report of Headley that was given to the IB. The document was also said to have been made available to some media. But later, the two paras that refer to Ishrat were missing from the NIA report. NIA sources maintained that Headley's comments are not legally admissible in any case other than 26/11 and his account is based on second hand information so should be treated as 'hearsay’.

Later, Home Minister Shinde said he would verify reports which suggested that Headley had told NIA that Ishrat had links with LeT. Shinde said the Congress general secretary met him and requested him to look into the matter of Headley's statement to NIA on Ishrat. "Digvijay Singh has met. Let me look into the matter raised by him. Let me speak to agencies concerned," Shinde told reporters here.