Headley's key contact, Bhat's name missing in Chicago trial

As the Tahawwur Rana trial draws to a close, there will always be a big question mark on one man who got away during this entire proceeding. Muzamil Bhat, who today without a doubt, is one of the biggest operatives in the Lashkar-e-Tayiba has been given a miss.

David Headley, the man who has been doing all the talking during the Chicago trial, has remained surprisingly quiet about Bhat. Investigations in India have clearly shown the links between the two men and despite this his name did not figure anywhere in the trial.

Bhat was not some low-level operative. He is the man who imparted training to all the ten terrorists who staged the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Indian investigations believe that he had not only trained them in combat but had also given them the specifics of targets to be attacked as well as how they were supposed to take control of the targets.

This is exactly where the Headley-Bhat link begins. Headley had data regarding all the targets. During his visit to Pakistan following his recce in Mumbai, he met with Bhat and discussed the targets, based on which training was imparted to the ten terrorists. This gives a clear indication that there was a close link between the two.

However, Indian investigators have found it very hard to build a strong case against him. The United States too have faced the same problem, and moreover, Headley has been very quiet about Bhat.

Immediately after the attack, the name of Bhat had done the rounds several times. Prior to the Mumbai attacks there were intelligence intercepts on him from the Kashmir valley, where he was one of the primary warriors for the Lashkar-e-Tayiba.

The Intelligence Bureau says that Bhat was second to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi in the Lashkar ranks. This fact was proven when he immediately took over as operational chief of the outfit the moment Lakhvi was sent behind bars. 

Pakistan claims that it had arrested Bhat too, but his name does not figure anywhere in their investigations.

So why is there so much mystery surrounding Bhat. The Intelligence Bureau says that there is a manner in which each operative is trained to speak. When Headley was trained by the Inter-Services Intelligence, he would have been clearly told whose names to reveal and whose not to reveal in case he was arrested.

The IB also says that Muzamil Bhat was a name which they wanted to protect and hence there is very little being spoken about him. Moreover, the ISI was aware that once the investigations commence, the usual suspects would have been Hafiz Saeed and Lakhvi.

They were also aware that there would have been pressure on arresting them. In such an event, it would have become very difficult for the operations to run and hence they needed some names, especially of those who are second in command to be concealed.

The Indian case on Muzamil Bhat is not all that strong. India will need access to more data, such as the voice samples and call records between Headley and his handlers in order to build up a stronger case against Bhat.

Today Bhat, according to the IB, is in Muzafarabad and is running a new camp of the Lashkar. Such things only make the case even more difficult because according to Pakistan he has been arrested.

Pakistan had done the same with Sajid Mir. The fact that Bhat was a close contact of Headley is something that needs to be established. Further details on this are expected to come out once the National Investigation Agency questions Rana, and if possible, Headley, once again.

India has, however, decided not to wait for any other court to pass a verdict on Bhat. India will have to conduct its own investigations and the NIA chargesheet will take Bhat's name, so that he is tried in India at least, sources say. 

For India he was a crucial link in the 26/11 Mumbai attack because he is the man who trained all the terrorists.