Suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Headley Visited the Resort
Headley visited Osho centre in Pune
PUNE: The Pune police on Tuesday ordered an inquiry to find out whether suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Coleman Headley (49) had visited other places in the city too after it emerged that he had paid two visits to the Osho International Meditation Resort at Koregaon Park here — on July 24, 2008 and March 16, 2009.
Joint commissioner of police (law and order) Rajendra Sonawane said that the Osho resort has given the police details of Headley’s two visits. Deputy commissioner of police Ravindra Sengaonkar of the special branch will conduct an inquiry to collect details of Headley’s visits and also identify the people he may have met or those who may have accompanied him here.
Headley did not inform the foreigners’ registration office (FRO) of the Pune police of his arrival on either of his two visits, Sonawane said. “Any foreigner who comes to the city for even one day has to intimate the FRO and give details of his/her departure. The police can taken action for violation of the Foreigners Act in case of non-compliance,” he pointed out.
It is learnt that Headley visited India on a business visa on both his visits. “The visa enables a foreigner to travel to any part of India, but he has to register himself with the FRO at the place where he is conducting business,” said assistant commissioner of police Kalidas Suryawanshi. The police are trying to find out whether Headley had registered with any FRO in the other Indian cities he visited.
Meanwhile, Ma Amrit Sadhana, spokesperson at the Osho International Meditation Resort, confirmed that Headley had registered at the resort on two occasions. “We anticipate that everyone who registers with us comes for meditation. We have multiple meditation courses that range from one hour to longer durations. We don’t have any other information about Headley. We learnt that he had visited the resort only after he was arrested by the FBI,” she said.
Acting on the advice of the police, the Osho resort has now restricted the entry of visitors and has tightened security. “Those who come for meditation are being admitted. But we have placed restrictions on other visitors as a preventive measure. We are giving the FRO details of all foreigners who visited the resort. The resort is spread over 40 acres and around 20,000 foreigners come visiting here every month. We admit people who are looking for spirituality, but only after conducting a proper verification,” Sadhana said.