Shiv Sena activist met Headley twice

Lily

B.R
Staff member
Mumbai: Shiv Sena activist Rajaram Rege, named by Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley in a US court, yesterday said he met the Lashkar-e-Taiba operative twice in 2008 and exchanged some e-mails. He added that he had not concealed any information from authorities.

Speaking to IANS on phone from Vengurla in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, Rege, 40, categorically denied having "links" with Headley — barring the two meetings and exchanging a couple of e-mails.

He also said that he had not met Headley in the presence of Rahul Bhatt, son of eminent filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt.

Rege said he could not remember the dates of the meetings, and added that he would talk to the media after his return to Mumbai next Wednesday.

A professional computer software and hardware engineer, Rege said he offered his services at the Shiv Sena's party headquarters to solve the people's problems. He said he was introduced to Headley by a man called Vilas Varkarvi.

"However, at that time, I had no inkling of Headley's intentions. He was like the other foreigners who keep coming to Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar for different reasons," the Shiv Sena activist told IANS.

Rege also denied that he had deliberately kept his meetings with Headley under wraps.

"On the contrary, I was interrogated in detail by the NIA [National Investigation Agency] and I have told them everything, and they asked me not to speak about it. They were asking me the same questions as you are asking."

Rege said that though there were just a couple of meetings and Headley believed that he was the "Shiv Sena PRO", he had tried to avoid him as he did not feel too comfortable around Headley.
 
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