India has come out with details of a suspected ISI officer named Major Iqbal who is reported to have been named by the US government in its second charge-sheet on the Mumbai terror attacks in a Chicago Court.
In an extra-ordinary step, the home ministry (under the leadership of P Chidambaram) issued a statement giving details of each of the five people reported to have been named in the second chargesheet filed by the US government in the trials of Tahawwur Rana, David Headley and others.
“Major Iqbal was handling David Coleman Headley on behalf of ISI for the Mumbai terror attacks,” the Indian home ministry said in an official statement a few minutes ago.
“He provided funds ($25,000) and FICN to David Coleman Headley for meeting his expenses during the surveillance operations in India. David Headley used to give all the surveillance videos first to Major Iqbal and then to the LeT [Lashkar E Toiba.] Majoro Iqbal, on behalf of the ISI, was actively involved in the planning and execution of Mumbai terror attacks,” the Ministry said.
The five accused — suspected to be in Pakistan and detailed by India today — were charged in the US with murder and maiming on Monday. Iqbal has also been charged with conspiracy to bomb locations in India.
Rana is alleged to have helped David Coleman Headley, a US citizien of Pakistani descent, to scout targets for the Mumbai attack. Much of the intelligence has been based on the information given by Headley, who, in March 2010, pleaded guilty to charges including aiding and abetting the murder of Americans in Mumbai, and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution to escape the death penalty.
In its statement, the Indian home ministry pointed out that the Pakistani government has not given the voice samples of these suspects despite having been requested to do so by India.