India to get access to U.S. man on Mumbai attack

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian investigators will get access to the Chicago man who pleaded guilty to helping plan the 2008 Mumbai attacks, but he will not be extradited to India on current charges, a U.S. official said on Saturday.

New Delhi wants to interrogate David Headley, who admitted this week in a U.S. court to scouting targets for the rampage in India's financial center, which killed 166 people and derailed a peace dialogue between India and Pakistan.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake, on a two-day trip, assured Indian authorities of cooperation in the Headley case.

"The other question that has been raised is whether Indian investigators will be allowed access to Mr Headley to learn more about his involvement in the planning of the Mumbai attacks, and the answer to that is yes," Blake told reporters.

Headley has been cooperating with U.S. investigators since his arrest in October and faces up to life in prison. He has pleaded guilty to 12 counts, including conspiring to bomb and murder U.S. and Indian citizens.

In an agreement with prosecutors, Headley promised to help investigators and give testimony against others in exchange for a promise that he would not be extradited to India, Pakistan or Denmark.

Headley is also charged with plotting a revenge attack on a Danish newspaper that published cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed in 2005.

Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram has said his government still had "many more questions" about the Chicago man, who spent his childhood in Pakistan, and would not withdraw a request for extradition.

Blake did not rule out such a move at a future date if fresh charges were brought against Headley, which would stand outside the plea bargain.

Blake also said it was very important for Pakistan to tackle the threat of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Pakistan-based militant group which India blames for the Mumbai attacks and which Headley has pleaded guilty to supporting.

A GROWING CONCERN

"(LeT) is a growing concern to the United States, because of the increasing global scope and ambition of LeT," Blake said.

Separately, Home Minister Chidambaram spoke to the U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder by phone about getting access to Headley, an Indian government statement said on Saturday.

As a result, Chidambaram said he instructed Indian investigators to prepare documents for a judicial proceeding in which they could question Headley or require him to testify.

India broke off a formal peace dialogue with Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks, accusing some state agencies of involvement and saying Islamabad was not doing enough to crack down on those responsible for the assault. Islamabad has denied involvement.

The nuclear-armed rivals held their first official talks since the Mumbai strike last month, and New Delhi has signaled it is open to a fresh round. Improved ties between the two are seen as key to regional stability.

"Pakistan was in a state of denial for many months after the (Mumbai) attacks," Chidambaram said on Saturday, pointing to Headley's admission to helping Lashkar. "The plea agreement should spur Pakistan to take action against all the conspirators and bring them to justice. Nothing short of that will be acceptable to India or will satisfy world opinion."

(Editing by David Stamp)