Headley may turn witness against Rana

NEW DELHI: Suspicions that David Coleman Headley was an American "agent" who turned rogue deepened on Saturday amid indications that the US-based Lashkar operative might turn into a "truthful witness" and depose against his co-accused Tahawwur Rana.

It's thought the FBI could be working out an arrangement with Headley, allowing him to get off relatively lightly by deposing against Rana. Rana's arrest has taken on importance because of growing fears that he may have used his immigration firm to smuggle Pakistanis into the US. He has refused to reveal anything to the FBI so far.

Given that Headley had conducted a recce for 26/11, the magnitude and scale of the attacks and that six US citizens were among those killed in Mumbai, he is unlikely to walk free. However, his ‘‘cooperation’’ (as testified by the FBI) could earn him the status of ‘‘truthful witness’’ and hopes of a lighter sentence.

The first indication of this came last week when Headley did not contest his indictment. He also decided to forego his right to trial by a grand jury, which might have meant a more diffuse outcome but near-certainty the Lashkar jehadi would have faced uncomfortable questions about his past. This might have ranged across his association with the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and possibly the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Any deal between Headley and the FBI might make it harder for Indian investigators to gain access to the only other 26/11 conspirator (apart from Mohammad Ajmal Kasab) not in Pakistani custody. This is causing consternation here because the accused, also known as Daood Gilani, has deep links with the LeT leadership and HuJI's Ilyas Kashmiri. A deal would reinforce suspicion he is a rogue agent.