Vilas Pandurang Varak (31) is having sleepless nights. And it has nothing to do with the fitness instructor’s upcoming wedding on December 9.
<b1>Varak, the tall, muscular resident of a Dadar chawl, voluntarily met the police accompanied by his friend Rahul Bhatt earlier this
month. Both offered leads on India’s currently most famous terror suspect, US Lashkar operative David Headley, held in Chicago.
But Vilas now finds his role wrapped up in a haze after questioning by the National Investigation Agency that an official said was very aggressive.
On Monday, when he went to work at Moksha, the gym where he has worked for eight years and where he first met the 6’2” Headley, Varak said he had been asked not to return until further notice. “No comments on this please,” a manager who identified herself as Rinkle said.
“I did nothing, I am just trying to help the police. Everyone is making me feel like a criminal,” Varak told HT, breaking down twice mid-conversation.
“I am a gone case. My parents keep crying as if someone is dead.” Varak is so traumatised he won’t talk about the questioning, saying he has been asked not to. If his claim is true, it is unclear how investigators can put such a gag order.
“I met him once in a while, we discussed fitness. That’s it,” Varak said. “We met for lunch or dinner sometimes, or a film.” He and Bhatt last met Headley during the 2008 monsoon.
At home, the wedding cards have been printed. “I am asking myself, should I cancel the wedding?” he said.