Lashkar terrorist David Headley is testifying before the Mumbai court for the second day today
Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist David Coleman Headley while testifying before a Mumbai court for the second day today said he was asked by the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI to recruit Indian armymen to spy for them.
Headley, 55, is deposing before the Mumbai court on 26/11 Mumbai attack via video link from the undisclosed location in the US.
He told the court that Lashkar had planned to attack the Indian defence scientists at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai.
Headley said he also advised the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack, Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi to 'legally challenge' the US ban on Lashkar.
Headley testified for over five hours yesterday and described the role of ISI officers in collaborating with the Lashkar for the terror attack which left 166 people dead in Mumbai.
He also disclosed that the same group of ten terrorists that attacked Mumbai in November 2008, had made failed attempts to strike the city in September and October the same year.
Headley said he joined the Lashkar in 2002 and trained under its leaders Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, key plotters of the 26/11 attack. India has been asking Pakistan to bring them to justice, but Islamabad has pleaded lack of evidence.
On Monday Headley detailed how he met two ISI officers, Major Ali and Major Iqbal, who connected him to Sajid Mir, a Lashkar recruiter with known links to the ISI. Sajid Mir, was his handler, but he also mentioned "my other Lashkar colleagues".
Headley's testimony would end the ambiguity over the role of Pakistani "state and non-state actors" in the Mumbai terror attack and would take the case to a logical conclusion, said Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, adding, "It will help us."
Home ministry sources have said the Centre will examine the information revealed by Headley on Monday and it may be assembled into a new dossier of evidence to be handed over to Pakistan.