Govt still tracing Headley's visa papers: Tharoor

The Government on Friday said it was still tracing the visa papers of David Headley, arrested by FBI in Chicago on charges of plotting terror attacks in India and Denmark.

The Government on Friday said it was still tracing the visa papers of David Headley, arrested by FBI in Chicago on charges of plotting terror attacks in India and Denmark.

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"There is nothing to add. We told you that we are tracing it. We will let you know when it is traced," Minister of State For External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said when asked whether Headley's visa papers were traced.

However, there was no word from the Home Ministry, whose officials had on Thursday said "there were indications from Chicago that the papers are in store. Nothing has been lost. We Will get them by tomorrow."

Different versions were given by the Government over the reports that papers of Headley are missing from the Indian Consulate in Chicago with Tharoor stating that while the visa papers of Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian-Pakistan terror suspect, were found, Headley's papers were being traced.

His remarks were in contradiction to the claim by his own ministry which said it was inaccurate to conclude that the papers of Rana and Headley were missing from Chicago Consulate.

Even the Home Ministry officials maintained that there were indication from Chicago Consulate that these papers were "in store".

Both Headley and Rana were issued multi-entry visas at the discretion of the then Consul General and both were also exempted from reporting to police if their stay was less than 180 days at a single stretch.