The government on Monday said it cannot rule out the possibility of involvement of foreign hand in the Pune blast, including a David Headley link, even as it disclosed that an ISI-sponsored 'Karachi Project' was on to doctrinate Indian youth into terror.
India is planning to seek access to Headley, a US national of Pakistani origin now in American custody, by even moving the US court.
Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai said there is definitely a Headley link (to Pune blast) since it was very close to Osho Ashram which he had receed. It was difficult to believe there was no link with the Headley videos.
He said Headley had spoken of an ISI-sponsored 'Karachi Project' to take away Indian youth to Pakistan and indoctrinate them to carry out terror attacks in India.
However, he said the investigations in the Pune case are in "very preliminary stages" and it would be too early to comment. It is well known that organisations like Indian Mujahideen have handlers across the border, Pillai added.
'We cannot rule out or rule in the possibility of the involvement of foreign hands in Pune blast," Pillai told reporters adding as to who did it and how they did it will take some time.
He said the investigators were on their job and government needed some time before it can break the case.
Asked whether government had any intelligence input before the blast, Pillai said government had some general information which was duly passed to Maharashtra government but there was no specific information about terror threat to any particular city.
On the possibility of Indian Mujahideen terror module's involvement, Pillai said "we do not know whether the old modules are still existing or whether some new modules have come up. But we have alerted the states wherever they had existed earlier and keep a check on their activities."
On Headley, he said "during his interrogation, Headley has said that the 'Karachi Project' was launched by ISI with the objective of taking Indian youths to Pakistan, have them indoctrinated, give them training and send them back to India to carryout terror attacks".
Asked whether India would seek access to Headley, Pillai said "we have already asked for the access to David Headley. He is currently in grand jury indictment. First, we have to file a chargesheet, then move a court for Letter Rogatory and then approach the American court for his access".
He also said due to different legal systems (in India and the US) Indian investigators have not been able to get access to him so far.
Asked whether any Major of the Pakistan Army was present in the control room of the attackers of Mumbai (26/11), he said "there is no such confirmation yet. We have got some reports from the FBI but unless we get voice sample, it is difficult to corroborate...". PTI
