Headley stayed in Delhi's Paharganj to recce for LeT

After his passport details confirmed his nine visits to India, investigators are now probing if David Coleman Headley, the Pakistan born American national who is in US custody for allegedly plotting attacks on behalf of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is the missing link in last year's Mumbai terror attacks.

Headley's US passport (No. 097536400), issued March 10, 2006 and valid for 10 years, revealed he had come to New Delhi from Abu Dhabi March 6 this year - the ninth visit to India on the passport. He is also suspected of having a Pakistani passport, sources say.

According to police, he stayed in two hotels of Delhi in crowded Paharganj, a popular destination for foreign backpackers.

On March 6, he stayed at Hotel Holiday International and then for the next two days at Hotel Anand, from where he checked out saying he was leaving for Rajasthan, according to hotel records.

Investigators believe that during his three-day stay in Delhi he gathered extensive details on potential targets like the National Defence College located here.

Headley and his alleged accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, were arrested in the US last month by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI later informed the Indian intelligence agencies that the two were plotting terror attacks against India and the National Defence College in New Delhi was on their hitlist.

Intelligence sources say that Headley has an eye for detail and was capable of meticulous planning.

It is suspected that he may have used the same diligence while gathering details that 10 LeT terrorists used for the Mumbai attacks that left over 170 people killed.

For instance, soon after reaching the Mumbai coast in a boat, the terrorists split themselves into five groups and each group headed for specific targets, easily pointing to a degree of familiarity with the area.

“It is strongly believed that Headley is the missing link in the 26/11 attacks probe. We are keenly looking at it,” said an officer, requesting anonymity.

Last updated on Nov 13^th, 2009 at 14:16 pm IST--IANS