Headley says there were 2 failed attempts before 26/11 in Mumbai!

David Headley, the Pakistani-American LeT operative, today deposed before a Mumbai court via video-link after he was made an approver in the 26/11 case. Headley said that he came to India seven times before the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks; he also stated that his main contact in LeT was Sajid Mir, another accused in the case.

In more than seven years since the attacks, this is the first time that Headley deposed before the court.

The deposition through video conference began at 7 AM, in which Headley claimed to be a "true follower of LeT" and said that along with the seven times before the attacks, he has also visited India afterwards, once.

Headley is serving 35 years of prison sentence in the US for his role in the terror attacks. He said that he changed his name from Dawood Gilani to David Headley in 2006 for the ease to enter India and set up some business.

"I applied for change in name on February 5, 2006 in Philadelphia. I changed my name to David Headley to get a new passport under that name. I wanted a new passport so that I could enter India with an American identity.

"After I got a new passport I disclosed it to my colleagues in LeT of which one of them was Sajid Mir, the person with whom I was dealing with. The objective for coming to India was to set up an office/business so that I can live in India. Before the first visit, Sajid Mir gave me instructions to make a general video of Mumbai," Headley said in his video conference.

Headley also stated he furnished all "wrong" information in his Indian visa application "to protect his cover".

On his visits to India, he drew maps, took video footages and scouted several targets for the attacks including the Taj Hotel, Oberoi Hotel and Nariman House, which provided vital information for the 10 LeT terrorists who finally launched the attack.

In December last year, the court had made him an approver in the case and directed him to depose before the court on February 8, to which he had agreed on the condition of being granted pardon, which was accepted with certain conditions.

Last year, Mumbai Police had moved an application before the court, requesting Headley to be tried by the court along with 26/11 key plotter Abu Jundal, given that both were the conspirators and abettors behind the attacks that left 166 people dead.

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