Headley's estranged wife says she won't talk for free

Faiza Outalha, the Morocco-based estranged wife of David Headley, has put a price on any information she gives out on him — 5,000 euros (Rs. 3,62,089) for 15 minutes. Harinder Baweja reports.

Faiza Outalha, the Morocco-based estranged wife of David Headley, has put a price on any information she gives out on him — 5,000 euros (Rs. 3,62,089) for 15 minutes.

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In an email exchange with Hindustan Times, Outalha said: “Sorry, no statements for free.”

When requested again, just for a comment on the sentencing and not a full interview, she replied: “Please don’t act smart with me. Tonnes of journalists just called asking for the same thing. I wouldn’t give any statement, verbal or written, so don’t push it please. You want to pay, contact me, if not, forget it. My minimum wage is 5,000 euros/15min interview.”

When the paper wrote to her one last time, she wrote back: "You don't seem to understand, do you? Not a single free question. Go say it out loud to the public, Faiza Outalha is not accepting free interviewing. Go say that in your article, but don't bother me again."

Outalha, who met Headley in Lahore in 2007, came to Mumbai for her honeymoon.

In an earlier interview with this reporter (for Headlines Today), she said Headley had sent her a ticket to join her in Mumbai. They stayed at the Taj.

Outalha recounted how Headley watched the 26/11 attacks on TV at their Lahore home but did not betray too much emotion.

Suspicious about his activities, she tried to report him to officials at the US embassy in Pakistan but she said they turned her away.

They even “defended him”, she recounted.