In the deposition he said that he came to India seven times before the 2008 terror attacks, and that his main contact in LeT was Sajid Mir, also an accused in the case.
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“His evidence may unfold many things behind the terrorist attack”.
New Delhi, Feb.9: With David Coleman Headley continuing to spill the beans on LeT and the ISI’s involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said his statement establishes the fact that there is no difference between the state and non-state actors in Pakistan.
He told the court that LeT made two unsuccessful attempts to carry out terror attacks before finally striking in November 2008, once in September and another in October. Today he admitted that he had met both Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Hafiz Saeed and then operational commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
Nikam told reporters that “Headley has given us valuable information”, but declined to comment on the testimony about ISI, saying it was up to the government of India to take it up with the government of Pakistan.
Headley said he joined LeT after being inspired by the speeches of its head Hafeez Saeed, and did LeT’s work on directions of Saeed. Headley also disclosed the close nexus between the terror outfit and the Pakistani intelligence agency.
“The LeT group as a whole was responsible for the terror attacks in India”, said the Pak-American terrorist.
Headley, who was convicted in the USA for his role in the Mumbai attacks, gave his statement before special judge G.A. Sanap.
Flanked by three persons – his attorney John, a USA attorney Sarah and an unidenfied person Bob – Headley was administered the oath at 7.30 a.m. and Nikam started firing the questions at him.
An American who helped plot deadly attacks in Mumbai has told a court that Pakistan-based militants attempted two earlier assaults on the Indian city before killing 166 people in November 2008. Headley, according to his deposition before the court, changed his name from Syed Daood Salim Gilani to David Coleman Headley in Philadelphia and also obtained a new passport in the new name, as instructed by Siraj Mir. He told the court that in the first attempt, the boat that was carrying the terrorists hit a rock and sank with all the weapons and explosives the men were carrying.
Headley also stated he furnished all “wrong” information in his Indian visa application “to protect his cover”.
Headley, 55, was giving evidence to a special Indian court from an undisclosed location in America.
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– Headley says Hafiz Saeed was his mentor.
