Ishrat Jahan was LeT suicide bomber, says David Headley

Mumbai: Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Tayyaba terrorist David Coleman Headley told a special court here via video link from the US that Ishrat Jahan, killed in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in 2004, was an LeT operative and possibly a “suicide bomber”.

Headley picked up the name of the 19-year-old girl from three names when questioned by special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam about a “botched-up operation” that was mentioned to him (Headley) by LeT commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi.

He also confirmed that LeT targeted the Akshardham temple over the Babri Masjid demolition.

At the end of his testimony, when his statement was read out to him so corrections could be made if there was any misunderstanding, Headley told the special judge he wanted to clarify that Ishrat Jahan was an Indian.

“Zaki Saab (Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi) mentioned some police shootout at some area in India and later Muzammil Butt explained it to me,” said Headley, while replying to a question by Nikam.

Headley also elaborated that “some female” was killed in that operation in Gujarat.

Prodded by Mr Nikam for details about the “botched-up” operation, Headley said, “I don’t know which part in India. But there was one female who was killed in the shootout. I think she was an Indian national and not a Pakistani, but (she) was an LeT operative.”

‘Not aware of female suicide bomber’
David Headley informed the court Muzammil was the person who joined the LeT at a young age and had visited “Indian-occupied Kashmir” (J&K) with Abu Juzar to fight against Indian troops. Muzammil later became the head of LeT.

“I will give you three names and you identify from them who that lady was,” said Mr Nikam, reading out three names: Noor Jehan, Ishrat Jahan and Mumtaz Begum. Headley then responded: “It was the second one, Ishrat Jahan.” Mr Nikam also asked Headley about the women’s wing of LeT and if he knew the names of any “female suicide bomber”. However, Headley replied he was not aware of any female suicide bomber but he only knew the mother of Abu Aima, LeT member, was head of the women’s wing, but he could not recall her name.

When Mr Nikam asked if Headley knew of Akshardham temple and Somnath temple, he replied in the affirmative. Asked further what had happened at these temples when he was in LeT, he replied he had heard from LeT people that Muzammil had planned an attack on Akshardham but was not aware of anything regarding the Somnath temple. Later he explained he had asked Muzammil about this and was told that “Indians demolished the Babri Masjid and hence it was all right for us to attack the Akshardham temple, and that is why we planned to attack it”.