India to renew extradition request of David Headley

New Delhi, Dec 28: India is likely to renew its demand seeking the extradition of David Headley in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai attack case. The NIA had made this request three years back, but the same went into the cold storage.

NIA officials say that the crimes committed by Headley affected India more when compared to the United States of America where he is lodged today.

Currently in India, Headley is involved in two different trials. While one case is at Mumbai the other is at Delhi.

Recently Headley had turned approver before a Mumbai court and on the basis of this he was pardoned too.

However the NIA which probed the case relating to the larger conspiracy behind the 26/11 attack says that they will try him as the first accused. He along with Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba are also accused in this case.

Although the NIA will make a request for extradition it is highly unlikely that the US would send him over to India.

There are two issues that will prevent an extradition. The US cannot dishonour the plea bargain deal they have with Headley.

As per this deal, Headley shall not be sentenced to death nor extradited to India. The second issue is with relation to double jeopardy.

Headley has already been punished for his role in the 26/11 attack by a US court. The court convicted him on the charges that he aided the attack in which the lives of 6 Americans were also lost.

Now that he has been convicted in the US, the question is can sentenced for the same crime again. It is very likely that if he is brought to India, he will be convicted for his role in the 26/11 attack and this according to the Americans leads to double jeopardy which is not permitted in their system.

OneIndia News