The interrogation of LeT operative David Headley by a team of Indian investigators for a role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks has not captured much attention of the US media with the newspapers and TV channels giving scant coverage to it.
The newspapers and TV channels here are giving scant and minimal coverage to it. Headley, a Chicago resident, is being interrogated by National Investigation Agency sleuths, who have been camping in the city for the past one week.
However, apart from little mention of the team as part of coverage of the India-US strategic dialogue in Washington last week, not much newspaper space or TV airtime has been given to the access and interrogation of India's most wanted terrorist.
The city's leading dailies, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times have not carried a single report of the team's visit to Chicago and questioning of the Pakistani-American.
This is in stark contrast to the extensive coverage Headley's guilty plea had garnered in March this year, with reporters flying from all across the country and sitting in a packed Chicago courtroom to report on Headley admitting his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the terror plot in Denmark.
Radio and TV channels have virtually eschewed the NIA team's visit, which is being closely watched and extensively covered in India.
Chicago media is more occupied with the trials of former Governor Rod Blagojevich and former Police Commander Jon Burge. TV channel ABC7 Chicago, however has been the exception and has reported in some detail about the Indian team's visit to Chicago.
"Investigators from India's version of the FBI will meet for the first time with Chicago terror suspect David Coleman Headley," an ABC report had said last week.
The TV channel had also done a separate report on Loknath Behera, the official leading the four-member team of investigators, saying "India's top crime-fighter in Chicago for terror case".
"His name means nothing to Chicagoans and he could walk down Michigan Avenue (in downtown Chicago) without getting a second glance, but Loknath Behera is a legendary lawman in his home nation of India," the report said.
Terming Behera "a meticulous detective with a knack for obtaining information from criminal suspects", ABC7 said "If Behera's record is any indication, Headley could be in for some tough questioning".
The NIA team also comprises special prosecutor Dayan Krishnan and two other superintendents of police.
Behera, the only team member to win the Presidential Medal for Distinguished Service, is a top investigator and has previously worked on the Purulia arms drop case.
Even is Washington DC, coverage of Headley's interrrogation has been lacklustre.
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