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An Indian who used the services of Mumbai-based immigration offices of terror suspects David Headley and Tahawwur Rana has been deported by US authorities to India after his documents were allegedly found to be false. The person (name withheld) hailing from Gujarat arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi early on Thursday morning, airport sources said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation had informed the Indian authorities about the detention of the person after Headley reportedly told them about his clients who had used the services of his immigration office in Mumbai, the sources said. His statement was recorded by officials in the national capital after which he was let off and allowed to travel back to his native place in Gujarat as he did not have links either with any terror organisation or with suspicious activities of Headley and Rana.
The person, who appeared to be unaware of Headley's alleged terror connection, told the investigators that he had paid huge sums of money to immigrate to the US from Canada, the sources said. He said US authorities had detained him for allegedly entering that country on false documents. The deportation comes barely days ahead of arrival of an FBI team to India during which they would share the details of further interrogation of Headley, whose court hearing in Chicago has been deferred indefinitely in Chicago at the instance of the federal investigating agency.
Headley, who was arrested by FBI on terror charges in October 2008, ran a visa facilitation agency named Immigrant Law Centre from the AC Market in Tardeo, Mumbai between November 2006 and July 2008 before winding up his business in this metropolis. The firm was helping people especially unskilled workers to get visas for the US and Canada. Rana, whose counsul has claimed in Chicago court that he was innocent, is also alleged to be a part of this immigration agency. However, the Immigrant Law Centre in Chicago which is being headed by one Raymond Sanders has denied any links with the office of Mumbai as also with Headley and Rana.