David Headley now an accused in the 26/11 case

A Mumbai court has allowed the Mumbai Police’s plea to make Pakistani-American LeT terrorist David Headley an accused in 26/11 terror attack case. According to Jundal’s confession, LeT training camps enjoyed full support from local, federal police and paramilitary organisations in Pakistan.Headley was arrested on October 2009, at the O’Hare global Airport in Chicago while he was travelling to Pakistan.

The court also issued summons in this regard, scheduling the next hearing on December 10. The judicial process in this regard will go through the Ministry of External Affairs.

Headley is serving a 35-year sentence in the USA for his role as a conspirator in the 26/11 attacks.

“The plan was to capture an Indian fishing vessel, which constantly strayed into Pakistani waters, and commandeer it all the way to Mumbai”.

Court directs the police to arrange for Headley’s deposition on December 10 through video conferencing. If he does depose, he will be the first foreign national to be produced as an accused via video-conferencing in a terror trial in India.

His reconnaissance allegedly provided vital information for the 10 LeT terrorists and their handlers, who launched the attack on November 26, 2008 in which 166 people were killed.

The Mumbai Police told the court that it wanted to interrogate the American in the case.

Nikam also said that the charge sheet filed against Jundal carves out the role of Headley and hence no separate charge sheet was needed against the latter. His stance was expected after he argued against Nikam’s earlier plea to allow the United States district court judgment of 2013 to be taken on record by the Mumbai court to be used as evidence.

Headley allegedly visited India five times between 2006 and 2008, drew maps, took video footage and scouted several targets for the attacks, including the Taj Hotel, Oberoi Hotel, and Nariman House.

Before his April 2008 trip, Headley met with co-conspirators in Pakistan and discussed potential landing sites in Mumbai for a team of attackers who would arrive by sea.