As the investigating team that had gone to the US to question terror suspects David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana returned on Tuesday night without being allowed access to the two accused, fresh leads showed that Rana and his wife were present in Mumbai just five days before the 26/11 attacks while Headley had visited New Delhi this March.

Government sources told The Indian Express that New Delhi had handed over a questionnaire to the FBI as the investigating team comprising operational chiefs from IB and RAW were unable to interrogate the two suspects because of legal complications.

“The two accused have entered some pleas in US courts because of which their interrogation by any foreign agency was not permissible,” said a government official. He said the US authorities had otherwise extended all cooperation to the Indian team and briefed them extensively on the details of the case.

The questionnaire submitted by the Indian team focuses on the activities of the two suspects during their visits to India and their possible links to the Mumbai attacks. It seeks information about their contacts in India and Pakistan and linkage with homegrown jehadi groups.

Headley and Rana had been arrested by FBI from Chicago last month on charges of conspiring to carry out terrorist acts in India and elsewhere.

Preliminary investigations reveal that Rana travelled to India only once and left Mumbai for Chicago on November 21, 2008 with his wife. Headley made eight visits to Mumbai and one to New Delhi in March this year.

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