NATION | Saturday, November 21, 2009 | Email | Print | 
Report of Headley visit triggers panic in Pune
Parwinder Sandhu | Pune
The threat received from Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) about a possible attack on Jewish religious places coupled with LeT terror suspect David Coleman Headley's visit to Pune has triggered panic at the Koregaon park-based Chabad House, a Jewish centre.
Following the reports that during his visit to Pune, Headley had visited the Chabad House posing as a Jew and also conducted a recce for identifying spots for terrorist attack in the city, policemen have been deployed outside the Jewish centre keeping a strict eye on the visitors.
Rachel Kupchik, the wife of Rabbi Alter Btzalel of Pune Chabad House said that few days ago the Israel Embassy had shared the information about the terror alerts with the police, following which the security was stepped up at the Jewish centre, which now has round the clock police force guarding the building.
Speaking about Headley's suspected visit to the centre, Kupchik said that many Jews and Jewish Americans come to the Chabad House for offering prayers. "Even if Headley had visited the Chabad House, it is very difficult to remember anything about him. We don't maintain a register of people coming to the Chabad House as it is like a home for Jewish people in the city. Any person coming here as a Jew is welcomed," she added.
They are probing Headley's stay at Hotel Surya Villa in Koregaon Park in March this year and his visit to the Osho International meditation resort both in March 2009 and July 2008, as both these spots are located close to Chabad House here and Hotel Taj Blue Diamond.
"During the investigations carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation following Headley's arrest it was found that he was pretending to be a Jewish American while moving across India. The FBI also recovered a book titled "How to Pray Like a Jew" from Headley when he was arrested in Chicago," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Ravindra Sengaonkar. He further added that security had been provided to Chabad House following intelligence inputs.
Meanwhile, the special branch of the city police has been instructed to get detailed information on terror suspect Headley's visits to the Osho International Meditation Resort at Koregaon Park here.
As per the instructions, the special branch has been asked to find out as to why the Osho centre concealed information from the police that Headley was on a business visa and why it entertained him during his visit. The special branch would also be finding the instructor and foreigners present when Headley attended the meditation session both on July 24, 2008 and March 16, 2009.
DCP (Special Branch)Ravindra Sengaonkar would be conducting the investigation. During the investigation it would also be investigated as to who had referred Headley to the Surya Villa Hotel at Koregaon Park and the Osho centre and whether he met any person in the hotel or made satellite phone or telephone calls from Room No 202 on March 16 and 17.
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