Never met 26/11 attackers: David Headley

Convicted Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley, on Thursday, revealed before the special court in Mumbai via video conferencing that he was using two SIM cards in Pakistan before the 26/11 attacks. However, he had not disclosed those mobile numbers to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or National Investigation Agency (NIA) and he does not recollect those numbers used by him 10 years ago, he said.

Answering questions put forth by Zabiudding Ansari alias Abu Jundal’s lawyer, Headley said the FBI had seized mobile phones from him at the time of his arrest in the US, but he did not own any mobile phone in the US and was using his wife Shazia’s and friend Dr Tahawwur Rana’s phones in America.

He also told the court that he neither met any of the 10 attackers who had carried out the 26/11 terror attacks nor spoke to them. He also said that he never visited the control room in Karachi, which was used to monitor and manage the attacks.

According to Headley, he recognised the photograph of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested alive during the 26/11 attacks, because he had seen his photograph on the Internet.

When advocate Abdul Wahab Khan asked him what was the reason he had added the words “Rehmatullah Alaih” with Kasab’s name when he had identified his picture in the court, Headley said, “Because he is dead now so prayer should be made for him if he was good or bad, to be forgiven.” When asked if according to him Kasab was good or bad, Headley replied that he did not know Kasab and hence, cannot say if he was good or bad. “Of course the act of murder is not a good act,” said Headley when the defence asked him if the act (terror attack) done by Kasab was good or bad.

There was drama in court when Mr Khan further asked Headley if according to him the act of 26/11 attacks was good or bad deed. “I have already answered this, any act of killing innocent people is a bad act,” said Headley adding in Urdu, “Bewakufon jaisa sawal kar rahe ho app. Lag raha hai sahiri kar rahe ho,” (You are asking questions like idiots. It seems like you are saying poetries) said Headley and when Nr Khan said he was neither Iqbal nor Faiz (famous Urdu poets) and was doing his duty, Headley said “lagta nahi hai, jitna lamba khinchna hai khinchiye” (Doesn’t seem like this, stretch it (the cross-examination) as you wish).

When he was further asked if Indian police authorities (NIA) were not given full access to him when they were interrogating him, Headley said it was incorrect and they were given full access but his attorney was present all the time and the US attorney was also there but he was not there all the time.

When Mr Khan asked him the reason for seeking the presence of his attorney during his interrogation by the NIA, he replied he had an option and it was his choice to seek his attorney’s presence. “I don’t need to give an explanation on my right,” he added.

On another question Headley confirmed that after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, he developed the opinion that LeT had become soft on targeting Denmark and hence he joined Al-Qaeda. According to Headley, he had visited India in March 2009 for reconnaissance of the National Military College and various Chabad Houses on the insistence of Al-Qaeda operative Ilyas Kashmiri and he had paid for his visit to India, which was less than Rs 1 lakh.

Refuses to reveal ‘private talk’ with wife The special court in Mumbai conducting the trial in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks case on Thursday witnessed high drama when the defence lawyer asked more than 30 questions to Headley about his wife Shazia Gilani, but he refused to answer more than 20 of them saying it was private communication between him and his wife and he did not wish to tell what he communicated with his wife.

Earlier, Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal’s defence lawyer made an application in the court seeking to make Shazia and Headley’s friend Tahawwur Hussain Rana an accused in this case and the application is pending before the court. On Thursday, when the defence lawyer Abdul Wahab Khan started asking questions related to Headley’s wife Shazia, Headley got irritated after some time and even said that the NIA officer had not asked such questions about his wife because he was a gentleman. He also confirmed that Shazia had communicated with him about the Mumbai terror attacks in code language on his instructions and in email she had compared watching news about the attacks to watching cartoons.

However after almost 10 questions, Headley said, “I will not answer any further questions (related to wife). If you have any point clear it or move out (of this subject).”

The defence, however, continued with questions related to his wife and asked more than 30 questions, including if he had taught code language to his wife or shared plans and targets of attack with her, did she support him in joining LeT or was she opposed to it, where her father was working. Headley he replied it was his private communication with his wife (and he would not disclose them)

A similar situation had occurred on Wednesday when the defence was asking questions about Headley’s wife and he had refused to answer certain questions and at that time the special public prosecutor had objected to these questions explaining that under section 122 of the Indian Evidence Act, the communication between a husband and wife is a privileged one and need not be disclosed.

David Headley’s advance Holi wishes Headley’s examination in chief (questions asked by public prosecutor) was over on February 13 and at the end of court proceedings he had wished the trial judge G.A. Sanap a happy Holi in case he does not see him before Holi.

He had said, “My lord just in case if I do not meet you before Holi, I wish you happy Holi in advance.” However on Thursday when the court was working specially for this case, despite there being a public holiday Headley did not extend festival greetings to the judge; everybody presumed Headley would not have been aware it was Holi on Thursday.