Probe Into Headley, Rana Trail To Take 4-6 Weeks: Pillai

Making it clear that no clean chit has been given to anyone so far in the Headley-Rana terror case, Government on Sunday in New Delhi said the probe to complete the duo's trail in India will take four to six weeks.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said, "Investigations are on, it will take us at least, I will put it as something between four to six weeks, to complete the probe. Once that investigation is completed, we will know the links."

He was replying to a question whether Canadian of Pakistani-origin Tahawwur Hassan Rana and US citizen David Coleman Headley, arrested by the FBI last month for allegedly plotting terror strikes in India and the US, had made any trips to militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir and if there are any fresh inputs to suggest their role in the 26/11 attacks.

In reply to a specific question on Rana's movements, Pillai said he had visited Kochi in Kerala and the probe to find out what he did while in the city is on.

Kerala Director General of Police Jacob Punnoose had said, "a man named Tahawwur Hussain Rana had stayed in a hotel in Kochi on November 16". He had also stated that the state police had not received any official communication on the matter from the Central security agencies.

Security agencies probing the David Headley terror case have not given a clean chit to anyone, including filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's son Rahul, who had an acquaintance with the US national, arrested by FBI for plotting attacks in India at the LeT's behest.

"We have not given clean chit to anyone. Investigation is still on," Union Home Secretary G K Pillai told reporters on the sideline of a function here.

Meanwhile, a team of National Investigating Agency reached Mumbai yesterday to probe the activities of Headley and Tahawwur Hassan Rana, a Canadian of Pakistani origin who has also been arrested by FBI in connection with the plot.

The duo were arrested for suspected links with Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which had carried out the Mumbai carnage last year that left 183 people dead.

Asked about police failure to get an inkling about the plot while the two were in Mumbai to do a recce ahead of the 26/11 attacks, Pillai said, "Primarily they had come before November 26, 2008, that is why." PTI