‘India was never serious about Headley’s extradition’ – M S Narayanan

NEW DELHI: The new set of US cables released by the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks state that India was never serious about extradition of Mumbai terror attacks accused David Coleman Headley from America.

According to the cables in December 2009, the then National Security Adviser M K Narayanan had told former US ambassador to India Timothy Roemer that the Indian government was not seeking David Headley’s extradition and that the demand was to merely pacify the public.

The alleged telephonic conversation between Narayanan and Roemer took place on December 16, 2009 in which the former NSA said the Indian government would be “in the hot seat if it were seen as relinquishing extradition” of the 26/11 accused.

Narayanan had said it was “difficult not to be seen making the effort”. He was responding to a demand by Roemer that India should refrain from requesting Headley’s extradition.

“He (Roemer) explained that the threat of extradition to India could cause Headley’s cooperation to dry up, but that allowing the US judicial process to unfold or securing a plea agreement that both reflects his overall culpability and ensures his continued cooperation would maximize our ability to obtain further information from Headley,” the cable said.

The envoy had also told Narayanan that due to stringent US laws it would take decades for Headley to be extradited to India.

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