Investigators zero in on US-based LeT man's mysterious 'Rahul'
The mysterious Rahul, whose name was mentioned extensively in LeT operative David Coleman Headley's e-mails to handlers in Pakistan, has finally
been identified. It's neither Shah Rukh Khan nor Rahul Gandhi, but the son of famous filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. But Rahul Bhatt, 25, a fitness instructor and a body builder, is not on the LeT hitlist. He is a friend of Headley. The latter was arrested by the FBI in Chicago last month for plotting major terror attacks in India and Denmark.
Investigating agencies, who have already questioned Rahul, have almost given him a clean chit, saying he appears to be innocent.
An officer privy to the investigations said, "He has admitted to being friends with Headley. But, in all probability, he didn't know Headley's actual background and took him to be a foreign national in India on a job. That was exactly the guise Headley had been living under in India between 2006 and 2009."
It has also come to light that it was Rahul who helped Headley rent a flat near Breach Candy hospital. The two met at a gym which Rahul frequented.
Rahul, at that time, was supposed to be launched in a film, Suicide Bomber, under his family banner Vishesh Films, based on the London bombings. The project was eventually scrapped.
Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani origin who had been arrested by US's Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) on October 18 with a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin Tahawwur Rana, at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, had told FBI interrogators that Rahul was a prominent Indian actor. Headley had been arrested on the information that he was planning terror attacks in Denmark and India.
The two men became friends and when Headley said he was looking to rent a flat, Rahul even helped him get one near Breach Candy through a property broker. All this while, say investigators, Rahul was not aware that Headley had LeT links.
During his stay in Mumbai, Headley was ostensibly functioning as a consultant for an immigration firm in Tardeo. That was, possibly, the only identity that Rahul knew of Headley. Earlier, there were theories among intelligence agencies that Rahul could be a code word either for Shah Rukh Khan, who has played several character by that name, or even a place that could have been a terror target.
When contacted, Rahul's father Mahesh Bhatt neither confirmed nor denied that his son had been questioned by the police in connection with the Headley case. He simply said, "This is an issue of national security and not something trivial related to Bollywood. Ask agencies that deal with national security. I will not say anything more."
All efforts to reach Rahul failed as his phone was switched off. Text messages sent to him did not elicit any reply till the time of going to press.
Investigators also suspect that Headley may be holding dual passports of US and Pakistan (as Pakistan allows it) and thus escaped the scrutiny of immigration officials as he may have travelled to Pakistan using his Pak passport while to India using his US passport.
In a few e-mail conversations with an LeT operative, Headley has mentioned Rahul several times. The FBI affidavit notes: In an e-mail on July 2009, Headley told Lashkar-e-Taiba Member A that "I think when we get a chance we should revisit our last location again and say hi to Rahul."
A reply from LeT Member A on the same day read: "To see Rahul is a good idea coz have some work for you over there too. Matters are good enough to move forward..."
On July 9, Headley writes again: "When you say 'move forward', do you mean in the north direction or towards Rahul..." To this Member A replies: "Towards Rahul."
On July 10, Headley writes another mail to Member A: "The visit to Rahul's place, is it for checking real estate property like before, or something different and if so please tell what you can please. Also is it in Rahul's city or different one?" To this Member A replied: "There are some investment plans with me, not exactly at Rahul's city but near that. Rest we can decide when meet according to your ease."
 Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's son Rahul Bhatt |
Investigating agencies, who have already questioned Rahul, have almost given him a clean chit, saying he appears to be innocent.
An officer privy to the investigations said, "He has admitted to being friends with Headley. But, in all probability, he didn't know Headley's actual background and took him to be a foreign national in India on a job. That was exactly the guise Headley had been living under in India between 2006 and 2009."
It has also come to light that it was Rahul who helped Headley rent a flat near Breach Candy hospital. The two met at a gym which Rahul frequented.
Rahul, at that time, was supposed to be launched in a film, Suicide Bomber, under his family banner Vishesh Films, based on the London bombings. The project was eventually scrapped.
Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani origin who had been arrested by US's Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) on October 18 with a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin Tahawwur Rana, at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, had told FBI interrogators that Rahul was a prominent Indian actor. Headley had been arrested on the information that he was planning terror attacks in Denmark and India.
The two men became friends and when Headley said he was looking to rent a flat, Rahul even helped him get one near Breach Candy through a property broker. All this while, say investigators, Rahul was not aware that Headley had LeT links.
During his stay in Mumbai, Headley was ostensibly functioning as a consultant for an immigration firm in Tardeo. That was, possibly, the only identity that Rahul knew of Headley. Earlier, there were theories among intelligence agencies that Rahul could be a code word either for Shah Rukh Khan, who has played several character by that name, or even a place that could have been a terror target.
When contacted, Rahul's father Mahesh Bhatt neither confirmed nor denied that his son had been questioned by the police in connection with the Headley case. He simply said, "This is an issue of national security and not something trivial related to Bollywood. Ask agencies that deal with national security. I will not say anything more."
All efforts to reach Rahul failed as his phone was switched off. Text messages sent to him did not elicit any reply till the time of going to press.
Investigators also suspect that Headley may be holding dual passports of US and Pakistan (as Pakistan allows it) and thus escaped the scrutiny of immigration officials as he may have travelled to Pakistan using his Pak passport while to India using his US passport.
In a few e-mail conversations with an LeT operative, Headley has mentioned Rahul several times. The FBI affidavit notes: In an e-mail on July 2009, Headley told Lashkar-e-Taiba Member A that "I think when we get a chance we should revisit our last location again and say hi to Rahul."
A reply from LeT Member A on the same day read: "To see Rahul is a good idea coz have some work for you over there too. Matters are good enough to move forward..."
On July 9, Headley writes again: "When you say 'move forward', do you mean in the north direction or towards Rahul..." To this Member A replies: "Towards Rahul."
On July 10, Headley writes another mail to Member A: "The visit to Rahul's place, is it for checking real estate property like before, or something different and if so please tell what you can please. Also is it in Rahul's city or different one?" To this Member A replied: "There are some investment plans with me, not exactly at Rahul's city but near that. Rest we can decide when meet according to your ease."
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