Did Not Plan Pak PM Musharraf’s Assassination: David Headley

Headley deposition: Defence lawyer claims that Headley did not tell NIA about Ishrat Jahan, Headley says otherwise.
The Quint
India
Updated:
US terrorist turned approver David Headley. (Photo: The Quint)
US terrorist turned approver David Headley. (Photo: <b>The Quint</b>)
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During Ujjwal Nikam’s re-examination, David Headley said that the LeT does not have a women’s cell but has a women’s wing.

LeT has a women’s wing which does work related to religious education and taking care of widows. They are not involved in combat-related activities. I do not have any knowledge of a women’s cell in combat roles in India and Kashmir.
David Headley

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam starts his re-examination of David Headley. Defence Lawyer concluded his cross-examination today.

File photo of Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. (Photo: PTI)
  • Defence Lawyer Wahab Khan requested to extend cross-examination of Headley for one more day.
  • Court asked Defence lawyer to take his client’s instructions today itself as he is available in Court through video conferencing.
  • Judge GA Sanap rejected application of Advocate Wahab Khan for adjournment of cross-examination of David Headley in 26/11 case.
  • Court observed that this application was filed with malafide intentions. Court asked him to continue cross-examination today itself.
  • Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam informs that Abu Jundal’s lawyer met Jundal in jail yesterday.
  • Court recorded in its order that Advocate Wahab Khan has confirmed that Abu Jundal’s lawyer has ‘wakalat nama’ in this case.

“4-5 of My Friends Contributed to LeT”

  • I was taking contributions from 4-5 of my friends to fund the LeT. I do not recollect their names and the funds raised with their help. They were not American citizens.
  • I believed that the US, Israel and India are enemies of Islam.
  • It is not true that I wanted to establish Islamic rule in India. It is also not true that my mission and ideology in India was extended beyond Kashmir.
  • If Mr Wahab was my defence Lawyer, I would have insisted to be extradited to India. It is not a joke, I mean it.

“Won’t Answer Questions on Denmark and Pakistan”

Headley refused to answer questions on Denmark and Pakistan during his cross examination.

I will give answers about India and 26/11 and will not comment on questions on Denmark or Pakistan. It is none of your concern.&nbsp;

Musharraf’s Assassination

Headley denies claims of planning former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf’s assassination.

It is wrong that me and my associates were planning to assassinate Pervez Musharraf. This is not true.
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NIA Showed Headley Photos Without Names

During my interrogation, NIA showed six to seven photographs having names on them. But after US prosecutor’s objected to it, the NIA started showing me photographs without names. It is not correct that I identified photos in this court on the basis of photos shown by NIA. I identified just one out of six to seven photos showed to me.

Headley Surveilled Bal Thackeray’s Residence

Hafiz Saeed told me that Bal Thackeray needed to be taught a lesson. I told him I will take 6 months to complete the task. I visited Sena Bhavan and Bal Thackeray’s residence to do a surveillance. I met some of the guards at the gates of the perimeter of his residence. I conducted surveillance of CBI HQ Tanna House and Maharashtra assembly, but not Israel Embassy.

The defence lawyer claims that Headley did not tell NIA about Ishrat Jahan, Headley says otherwise.

Abdul Wahab Khan, the lawyer of Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, one of the prime accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack is cross-examining Headley. Special Public Prosecutor in the case, Ujjwal Nikam, is also present.

Headley’s Cross-Examination in Mumbai Court

  • “Lakhvi introduced me to the then LeT chief Muzammil Bhatt in 2006 as a top commander of LeT and told me that he has done Akshardham and Ishrat Jahan cases.”
  • “Lakhvi told me about Ishrat Jahan case. I had prior knowledge about Ishrat Jahan through newspapers.”
  • “I never told NIA that Lakhvi introduced me to Muzammil as a top commander whose every big operation was a failure. NIA misquoated my statements. They did not record my statement in ‘exact words’.”
  • “Didn’t tell NIA that Lakhvi sarcastically told me that Muzammil was a top commander whose ops were failure when he introduced me to Muzammil.”
  • “I am seeing copy of my statement to NIA for the first time, I remember most of my statement to NIA so I didn’t read it.”
  • “I gave details of Ishrat Jahan operation in NIA’s statement but I can’t assign a reason that why they didn’t recorded that. May be NIA forgot.”
  • “I told NIA that there was a women’s wing in LeT and mother of Abu Aiman was head of that.”

Also read: How Deadly is the Headley Testimony?

Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley continues his testimony to Mumbai sessions court. The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative-turned approver in the 2008 Mumbai attacks is being cross-examined via a video-link from the US. Headley has been convicted in the US for his role in the 26/11 strike that killed 166 people where he’s serving a 35-year sentence.

Some confessions made by Headley so far:

  • Headley says Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was Pakistan’s Prime Minister in 2008, visited his home to condole his father’s death within weeks of the 26/11 attacks. (Read: Former Pak PM Gilani Visited When My Father Died: David Headley)
  • Attempts were made to trade Israeli hostages in Mumbai in return for the release of Ajmal Kasab, the only Pakistani terrorist caught alive after the Mumbai attacks.
  • Maharashtra resident Ishrat Jahan was an LeT member, which led to a row over the controversial 2004 police encounter that killed the 19-year-old woman.
  • LeT planned the killing of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray but the assassin was caught. He later slipped out of police custody.
  • Headley “arranged” a fund-raising programme for the Shiv Sena in the US and planned to invite Thackeray.

Also Read on The Quint

26/11: Accused-Turned-Approver David Headley Deposes in Mumbai Breakthrough in 26/11 Trial: David Headley Turns Approver

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Published: 26 Mar 2016,10:15 AM IST

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