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National Investigation Agency has moved a Delhi court for issuance of non-bailable warrants against Pakistani-American terror suspects David Headley, Tahawwur Hussain Rana and Pakistan-based Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Hafiz Saeed on the charge of plotting terror attacks in India.
Two senior officers of Pakistani army are among those against whom the NBW has been sought by the NIA.
The accused have been booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and SAARC Convention (Suppression of Terrorism) Act, dealing with waging war against the government of India, conspiracy and procuring arms and ammunitions.
"All the accused are at present residing outside India. The investigation in the case is at a crucial stage and thus, it is imperative for the NIA to seek issuance of NBWs in order to take necessary steps towards further investigation like issuance of Red Corner notice through the Interpol," the plea filed by Sawyam Praksh Pani, Superintendent of Police of the NIA, said.
Besides Headley and Rana, who are now in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation at Illinois in the USA, the NIA has made Pakistan-based Lakhvi, Saeed, Major Iqbal and Major Sameer Ali of Pakistani army, Sajid Mir and Abdul Rehman accused in the FIR lodged on November 11 last year.
"The present case is of immense national importance and investigation conducted so far has revealed extensive roles played by these accused towards commision of offences alleged in the FIR," the agency said.
District and Sessions Judge S P Garg, who has been empowered through the Centre's notification to hear the NIA's plea, is likely to hear the application for issuance of NBWs.
The NIA, in the FIR, discussed the inputs provided by the FBI saying a detailed probe was required to unravel the entire conspiracy hatched by Headley and others to foment trouble and carry out terror attacks in India.
A team of the probe agency was recently accompanied by a magistrate to Illinois to record the testimony of Headley who had given his consent to attorney in the USA for deposing before an Indian agency.
Headley and Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, had come in contact ith terror groups Lashker-e-Tayiba and HuJI operatives in September 2006 for conspiring to carry out terror attacks in New Delhi and other places in India, NIA said.
Besides his various trips to India, Headley, in the guise of an Immigration Law Consultant, had also come to Delhi from Abu Dhabi on February 7 last year and went back via Mumbai by an Ethihad filght, almost ten days after his arrival, NIA said.
The Pakistan-based handlers were in constant touch with Headley and Rana to launch terror attacks in India, it said adding Major Iqbal and Major Sameer Ali, who hailed from Lahore and Karachi respectively, are members of Pakistan army.