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Tailing Headley

Police identify city hotel David Headley stayed in. He could have visited Jewish Chabad House suspects wife of Rabbi Alter Btzalel

Vijay Chavan/ Payal Banerjee

Posted On Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 02:54:02 AM

David Headley occupied Room 202 in Surya Villa on March 16 and 17. Did he do a recce at Chabad House ?

As newspapers were agog with reports about David Coleman Headley’s visits to Pune since November last year, intelligence officials are investigating whether Headley carried out a recce of the Pune Chabad House.

The revelation that Headley stayed at Room 202, Surya Villa Hotel in Koregaon Park and visited the Osho Ashram in the same area has worried inmates of the Pune Chabad House.

The reason – there are reports that prior to the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai, Headley had carried out a recce of Nariman House posing as a Jew.

Moreover, the Surya Villa Hotel, Osho Meditation Centre and Pune Chabad House are located close to each other in Koregaon Park.

The hotel is located at a walking distance of about 15 minutes from the Osho Meditation Centre and about 10 minutes from the Pune Chabad House.

Rachel Kupchik, the wife of Rabbi Alter Btzalel of Pune Chabad House, says, “The possibility of Headley having visited The Chabad House cannot be ruled out.

We don’t maintain a register of Jewish guests visiting to offer prayers.” The Rabbi was not available for comment as he is in the US.

Deputy commissioner of police (Special Branch), Ravindra Sengaonkar says, “We have no conclusive evidence to prove Headley visited the Pune Chabad House.

We are yet to reach a conclusion and are tracking his movements in Pune. We are trying to ascertain whether he was accompanied by anyone during his visits and if yes, by whom.”

Ma Amrit Sadhana, spokesperson of Osho Ashram, says, “Headley visited the Ashram on two occasions but nobody remembers him.

Everyday, we have some 20,000 visitors. Headley had undergone HIV tests. The CCTV footage shows him as a man with a receding hairline and no beard. We have given all these details to the police.”

Santosh, the day shift manager at Surya Villa Hotel, said, “Headley checked in at 6.15 am on March 16 this year and checked out around 8 am on March 17. He did not have a meal here.

We do not have in-room phone facilities and customers have to make calls from the STD booth near the reception. However, he did not use it.

Maybe he used his mobile. He did not have any guests either. We had submitted a C form, that announces the arrival of a foreigner at the hotel, to the police along with a copy of Headley’s passport and visa documents.”

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