Headley to depose on Monday

Pakistani-American terror agent David Headley would depose before a special Mumbai court on Monday and would reveal the sequence of events and planning behind the 26/11 terror attacks.

Headley (55) was pardoned on December 10 and made an approver by Additional Sessions Judge G A Sanap who presides over special cases related to terrorism, including  those under the now repealed TADA.

Headley was originally charged under 11 counts. “He would be deposing before the court this week,” Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told Deccan Herald on Saturday.

The deposition would be done through video conferencing and continue for a few days from Monday.

"I have received the charging document filed against me in this court. It charges me with same conduct for which I was charged in the US (by the FBI). I had pleaded guilty to the charges in the US (court) and I admitted that I was participant in these charges (role 26/11 attacks,” Headley had told the court. “I also agree to make myself available as a witness in this court. I appear here ready to answer questions regarding these events if I receive a pardon from this court,” he had said.

Headley’s maps and videos helped ten Pakistani fidayeens land by sea on Mumbai’s shores and launch one of the audacious attacks on the financial capital, killing over 166 people and injuring 300.

Between November 26 and 29, 2008, terrorists rampaged through two five-star hotels Oberoi and Taj Mahal Palace, Jewish outreach centre at Nariman House, Café Leopold, all in Colaba, besides Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Cama & Albless Hospital.
While nine terrorists were killed during the response operations, a lone gunman Ajmal Kasab was tried and hanged on November 21, 2012 at Pune’s Yerawada jail.

Arrest by FBI
The FBI arrested Headley in October 2009 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago while on his way to Pakistan. US District Judge Harry Leinenweber of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago sentenced him to 35 years in prison for his role in Mumbai attacks on January 24, 2013.

Reported to have worked for the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Headley was a CIA double agent who conspired with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistani intelligence officers and helped them gather ground information for the 26/11 attacks.

Headley’sevil designs
After Lashkar-e-Toiba in 2005 told him to conduct a recce in India, Headley changed his given name, Daood Gilani

The plan was to portray himself in India as an American, but neither a Muslim nor a
Pakistani.

In 2006, Headley and two Lashkar members discussed opening an immigration office in Mumbai as a cover for his activities

Headley visited  Mumbai five times—September 2006, February and September 2007, and April and July 2008

He made videotapes of various potential targets, including those attacked in November 2008.

Before each trip, Lashkar members and associates instructed Headley regarding specific locations for recce

After each trip, Headley traveled to Pakistan to meet with Lashkar members and associates

Headley and co-conspirators discussed potential landing sites in Mumbai for a team of attackers who would arrive by sea

Headley returned to Mumbai with a GPS device and took boat trips around the Mumbai harbor and entered various locations

Between November 26-28, 2008, 10 attackers trained by Lashkar carried out multiple
attacks in Mumbai
 
In March 2009, Headley made a sixth trip to India to conduct additional recce