JOIN USNo mention of Abu Jundal in Headley testimony
In his week-long deposition before a Mumbai court, Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley has not mentioned anything about Syed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, who is facing trial in the 26/11 carnage case.
During Headley’s testimony before Additional Sessions Judge G A Sanap, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who conducted the examination-in-chief, has not asked any questions on Abu Jundal. Headley, too, has not said anything. However, it is now to be seen whether Ansari’s lawyer Wahab Khan can extract anything during the cross-examination.
It is noteworthy to mention here that Ajmal Kasab, the sole Pakistani terrorist caught during the 26/11 attacks, in his voluntary confession before the then Additional Sessions Judge M L Tahaliyani during July 20-22, 2009, has named Abu Jundal among his trainers who taught the group Hindi. But on January 22, 2010, Kasab had retracted his statement. It was also alleged that he was among those who was present at the control room in Karachi, which was in touch with the 10 fidayeens during the November 26-29, 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.
When nearly 30 minutes of audio clip — which contained the conversation of those in control room with the foot-soldiers — was played on Saturday, Headley identified three voices: of his handler Sajid Mir and two trainers Abu Khafa and Abu al Kama, but said he could hear “three or four voices”. But the name of Abu Jundal does not figure.
In fact, when Headley deposed via a video-link from an undisclosed location in US, on the other end, Abu Jundal also watched the proceedings through a video-link from the Arthur Road jail.
Jundal, a Beed resident, has been charged with involvement in several cases like 26/11 and the Pune German Bakery blast. He has also been named the prime accused in the Aurangabad arms haul case.
Murky past
*In May 2006, the ATS had made a big seizure in Aurangabad. The total cache includes 43 kg of RDX, 16 AK-47 assault rifles, which might have come from Afghanistan, 50 Chinese-made grenades and over 3,200 rounds. .*The RDX had come as a surprise, but part of it remained not seized. A few days later, Jundal allegedly escaped to Bangladesh and then went to Pakistan on a fake passport and became close to LeT bosses.