Obvious Pakistan link to Headley, says Chidambaram

Home minister P Chidambaram today said there is an "obvious Pakistan link" to David Coleman Headley, arrested by the FBI for plotting a major attack in India at the behest of terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

He said at least two persons have been arrested in Pakistan on the FBI's advice.

"There is an obvious Pakistan link. Headley visited Pakistan a number of times, and I think on the advice of the FBI, two or perhaps more people have been arrested in Pakistan," he told reporters here.

He was replying to a question if there was any input on Pakistan link to the plot to attack the prestigious National Defence College in New Delhi in which FBI has arrested Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistan-born Canadian citizen and a resident of Chicago.

Chidambaram said affidavits have been filed by the FBI in this connection in a Chicago court.

On whether the Indian government was informed about it, Chidambaram replied in the affirmative.

"If you are asking whether I was informed about it, the answer is yes. If the question is whether you will be informed about it, the answer is no," he quipped.

Details of conversation between Headley and Rana, submitted by prosecutors to the Chicago court, indicates that LeT was giving priority to its attack on the National Defence College over other targets.

The reference to the National Defence College as a target was made by the duo during their conversation on September 7, which was recorded by the FBI.