Mumbai attacks co-accused David Headley, who scouted Shiv Sena headquarters, on Tuesday testified there was a plot involving his handlers in Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI and terror outfit LeT to assassinate Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.
Giving his testimony on the second day of the trial of 26/11 co-accused Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian of Pakistani origin, Headley, a Pakistani-American, talked about the hatred against the Shiv Sena among his Pakistani handlers.
Headley, who has pleaded guilty, also told the jury how he gave details about the potential landing sites in Mumbai to his Pakistani handlers.
According to Headley, his Pakistani handlers — Major Iqbal of ISI, Sajid Mir of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LET), Pasha, Rana and himself shared their hatred towards the Shiv Sena and they thought it is a terrorist outfit.
During the first hour of the testimony on the second day, federal prosecutors are trying to prove that Headley had direct communication with Rana and his handlers in Pakistan Major Iqbal, Sajid and Pasha.
Questioning his links with the Sena, the prosecutors are bringing in communication between Headley and Reggie (the PRO of Uddhav Thackeray, son of Bal Thackeray), which Headley describes as an effort to penetrate into Shiv Sena. Rajaram Rege is the Shiv Sena’s public relations officer.
Headley testified he shared his communication with Reggie with Rana, Major Iqbal, Sajid and Pasha.
Headley was asked about several emails he sent to Rana, Major Iqbal and Sajid — all basically to confirm that Rana and he were in direct communication with all of them.
The email sent to Sajid indicated that Bala (Mr Bal Thackeray) would be travelling with Reggie’s boss (Udhav) to the US and that he could be assassinated “over here” (in the US).
Headley said he and Sajid discussed that they wanted to kill Shiv Sena people. “We have discussed. This man (Reggie) was very important and would have given us access to this organisation (the Shiv Sena),” he said. —PTI