New Delhi, Jan 25: India today said it will continue to press for extradition of David Headley from the US after the Pakistani-American LeT terrorist escaped death penalty for helping plot the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and sentenced to 35 years in jail by an American Court.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the Government was "slightly disappointed" over the quantum of sentence, saying the 52-year-old convict should have got a "severest sentence".
Asserting that India's demand was Headley should be tried in India, Khurshid said he would have possibly got a "serious and severe" sentence in this country.
Khurshid, however, said the sentence handed over to Headly was a "beginning".
"The 35 year sentencing and what the judge said is a beginning. We understand there are legal procedures in the US but neverthless the position we have, the request(extradition) that we have made remains intact," Khurshid told reporters.
Union Home Secretary R K Singh also said that India will push for Headley's extradition.
Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi expressed disappointment at the verdict and demanded that he should be tried in India.
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy demanded that Headley should be extradited to India and be tried under Indian laws and given capital punishment.
