I have projects worth Rs10,000 crore, Rajaram Rege told David Headley

While David Headley wanted to forge a friendship with Rajaram Rege so as to gain access to Shiv Sena, the latter apparently was looking to gain intimacy with the Mumbai terror accused to bag Indian contracts with US companies.

"If anybody from USA or any country wants a venture or invest in India, I am the ideal person for them. Projects worth
Rs10,000 crores sanctioned by government are with me. Are you getting my point?" Rege wrote in an email to Headley on May 19, 2008, according to a copy of the email produced in the court by federal prosecutors.

Rege went ahead to lure Headley to get him big contacts in India because of his strong political connections.

"As you know that I am politically and socially very well connected here in Bombay (Mumbai), Gujarat and Delhi. Delhi is the place here where the central govt of India (prime minister of India) rules. I have very strong personal relations with people ruling Mumbai (Maharashtra), Gujarat and Delhi," he wrote.

"There are lots of projects in thousands of crores (Indian rupees) regarding constructions, dams, canals, power, medicine, education etc lined up," he wrote.

The email refers to some detailed conversation between Headley and Rege about their future joint projects.

"If we recollect about our plans that I need to come there and give presentations and conferences with people there and generate funds. Please make a detailed project report so that we can start our work on it that gives business to you as well as to me," Rege wrote.

"One more thing. How is the IT field there? If you have really good contacts in very top companies on a very high level then I would like to disclose my information to you. I am, myself, a computer science engineer with 16 years in IT," Rege wrote.

Headley told federal prosecutors that he sought guidance from his handlers in Pakistan as to how to respond to Rege's email.

Rege, he noted, was considered by them an entry point into the Shiv Sena, whom they considered as a terrorist outfit and had hatched plans to assassinate its leaders.

On May 23, 2008, Headley responded to Rege's email asking the latter how projects would be financially beneficial to him.

"As I mentioned my Boss Mr Sanders is vacationing in Spain but even then I did get to talk to him a little on this topic. He is very well connected with the government as long as it is beneficial for both of you. He will personally speak to you on this matter when he returns but he did ask me to get some more information from you. So please send me some more details," Headley wrote.

"Regarding the other matter, it also looks very promising. We could book halls in advance for you in multiple cities like New York, Chicago and guarantee large audiences. However, my Boss suggested that, if it is possible, you should have some big personality from your party to accompany you to America for maximum results. Would you be able to do that? That would guarantee all fund-raising activities to a big success," Headley wrote and forwarded this email to both Tahawwur Rana and his Pakistani handler Major Iqbal.

I am just trying to engage this guy. If he can visit USA with bala (Bal Thackeray) or his son (Udhav) I will be able to make direct contact. We can even take care of them if we want," Headley wrote in his email to Sajid Mir.

He told the prosecutors that by "take care" he meant assassination in the US.

As this was not enough, Rege wrote back to Headley giving him the details of how to bag contracts in India and also how the booty can be shared between them.

Talking of government projects, Rege wrote that one has to give money "under the table" and manipulate the project.

"If it is private sector project, it is very easy as all of them are known to me. I tell you the price of the project and we get it, financially both of us get benefit as we get our consultancy charges, that all, but even these consultancy charges ranges from few hundreds crores in rupees," he wrote.

"For these activities, I have my own trust registered under Indian laws. The purpose of this is that we get benefit for these consultancy fees. I show here that I get donations for social work as education or medical. That's gives me savings Income tax," Rege said, adding that he would expect Rs10 lakh in cash from Headley when he comes to Mumbai in June of that year.