Was instructed by ISI to recruit Indian Army personnel: Headley tells court

Mumbai: Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley's deposition over the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack entered fifth day on Saturday.

LeT operative told the court that ISI's Major Iqbal wanted him to visit Indian Army's Southern Command headquarters at Pune. He said that on March 16, 2009 he went to Pune and visited the Southern Command headquarters there.

"Earlier too, Major Iqbal had also asked me to visit this place. At that time, I had made a general video of the (Army) station from outside," he said.

Also, "Major Iqbal wanted me to try recruiting someone from the Army who would give us classified information. It was the same like the BARC (drill)."

"In all three cities, I took general videos of several locations there," he said.

Headley said that in March 2009 he had visited Pushkar, Goa and Pune and had recced the cities as sought by Ilyas Kashmiri of al-Qaeda.

Headley also told the court that after 26/11 attacks, he was continuously in touch with LeT's Sajid Mir and was concerned about the safety of Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi.

“Sajid Mir told me that nothing will happen against Lakhvi and Hafiz Saeed. Abdul Rehman Pasha, a former Pakistan army major who joined LeT and later al-Qaeda, said that actions taken by Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency against them and other LeT members in 26/11 case are superficial,” said Headley.

The LeT operative also revealed details of e-mails between him and his main contact Sajid Mir.

"From July 3, 2009 to September 11, 2009, there was an exchange of emails between me and Sajid Mir of LeT. I had time and again expressed concerns about the safety of the leadership of LeT," he told the court.

"From December 2008 onwards, after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, the Pakistan government was conducting investigations, interrogating people and pursuing people from the LeT which is why I wanted to know if Hafiz Sahab and Zaki Sahab were safe," he added.

Headley also said that Mir had replied to his e-mails and said that "Zaki Sahab is doing fine.... His morale is high even though he was in prison (at that time) and he was not depressed."

Headley and Mir had referred to Hafiz Saeed as the "older uncle" and Zaki as the "younger uncle" in the e-mails using code language.

The court was told that on August 20, 2009 Headley had sent a mail to Mir asking if "older uncle" (Hafiz) was also under investigation and would be arrested to which Mir replied after three days saying that "the older uncle is fit and healthy and is moving back and forth for his business" even as Mir asked Headley to not put ears to rumours.

Mir also assured Headley that "both Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi and Hafiz Saeed are safe and nothing will happen against them."

The 55-year-old Headley said that he returned to India after 26/11 attacks despite having apprehensions of being arrested and hence he had prepared a will and sent it to his friend Dr Tahawwur Hussain Rana.

On Friday, he had told the court about LeT and al-Qaeda’s further plans to target India post the 26/11 attacks including their intention to attack the then Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray or Shiv Sena Bhavan and other important establishments like Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (Barc) in Mumbai, National Defence College in Delhi, as it was a high value target and all Chabad Houses (Jewish and Israeli community centres) in India.

Headley in his statement said that when he had gone to Pakistan in June he had met Major Sajid Mir, Abu Kahafa, Major Iqbal, Major Abdul Rehman Pasha and Zaki-ur-Rehma Lakhvi to show his recommended targets.

At this time Lakhvi had told him that it was a very important action and it should be done properly, “It will give us a chance to avenge all the bomb blasts India has perpetrated on Pakistan,” Lakhvi had told Headley.

Headley on Friday stated before the special judge GA Sanap that during his first visit when he was asked to make general video of Mumbai city, he had visited inside Shiv Sena Bhavan in 2007 and had prepared video of the Sena headquarters both from inside and outside.