Headley had stayed close to Chabad Houses

David Coleman Headley, the US-based Laskhar jehadi terrorist who intelligence agencies believe was here to help Lashkar plot multi-city attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets, always stayed closer to Chabad Houses — prayer house of Jews — while travelling within India.

Union home secretary G K Pillai on Saturday confirmed that he had stayed close to Chabad House and Osho Ashram while in Pune — a finding that he said had led the Centre to issue an advisory to Maharashtra government and Pune police on October 12, 2009.

This was only part of a pattern. While in New Delhi, Headley stayed in a Paharganj hotel located in the vicinity of Chabad House. Also, while doing a recce of National Defence College in New Delhi, he is also learnt to have taken a close look at the synagogue frequented by staffers of the Israeli embassy and other Jewish expatriates.

While in Pushkar — popular with tourists from Israel and elsewhere — Headley stayed in a hotel that was so close to the local Chabad House that he could see the prayer hall from his room.