David Headley’s deposition continues for second day in Mumbai court

The US has said it is committed to assist India in bringing perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks to justice after Pakistani-American key LeT operative David Coleman Headley in his first deposition told a court that Pakistani terrorists conducted 26/11 strikes after two failed attempts. The court had on December 10, 2015, made Headley an approver in the case and directed him to depose before the court on today.

He said that the LeT group as a whole was responsible for the terror attacks in India, and it can be speculated that all orders came from its top commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.

Headley said that he joined LeT after being “influenced” by its head Hafeez Saeed and took his first “course” with them in 2002 at Muzaffarabad.

Headley’s deposition will resume on February 9, Nikam said.

Headley admitted to undergoing Daura-e-Am (preliminary training) and Daura-e-Khas (advanced training in weapons and explosives).

Mr Nikam said the United States government was extending all cooperation in the deposition of Headley, who has now turned into an approver, in view of the global challenge of terrorism.

However, it was at a meeting in 2006 attended by Sajid Mir, Muzammil, Abu Khafa it was decided that he should go to India.

Headley, born of a Pakistani father and an American mother, told the court that his name was Dawood Gilani, but he changed it to David Coleman Headley in 2006 to facilitate his travel to India.

– I changed my name so that I could enter India. Headley said that he changed his name in passport on instruction from Sajid Mir. “I wanted a new passport so that I could enter India with an American identity”, he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Admitting he was a LeT operative, Headley name one Sajid Mir as his main contact in the terror group. The objective for coming to India was to set up an office/business so that I can live in India.

Headley said he had applied for business multiple-entry visa with the Indian embassy so that he does not have to apply for Indian visa repeatedly. “They had information there was a meeting of Indian defence scientists in the near future… the plan was to attack during the meeting”.

Nikam said Headley was also in communication with officials from Pakistan’s spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, whom he identified as “Major Iqbal” and “Major Ali”.

Headley’s ongoing evidence on Monday could help the prosecution nail the alleged co-conspirators in the attacks Zakiur Rehman Lakhi, the terrorists’ handlers, the role and involvement of other state and non-state actors, and the role of arrested LeT activist Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, now in a Mumbai jail.

In this April 3, 2012, Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawwa and founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, talks with the Associated Press in Islamabad, Pakistan.

“There have been no action against any one of them”.

Sources said India would soon send a fresh dossier to confront Pakistan with the evidence provided by Headley.

Headley was also in touch with several Brigadiers in Pakistan and was carrying off plans of securing Indian Army personnel for spying against India.

He elaborated about the link between Pakistan’s military and terror organisations, a day after he described how the ISI officers joined forces with the LeT for 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.