David Coleman Headley, who was convicted of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, today began his first deposition before a Mumbai court through video conference. Headley turned approver in the case in December 2015. In his deposition, which began at 7 am, Headley said that he was a "true follower of LeT", and revealed that his main contact in the terror outfit was Sajid Mir, also an accused in the case. ADVERTISING Headley also said he changed his name from Dawood Gilani to David Headley in 2006 so that he could 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," Headley told the court. "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," he stated. Headley also said that in his Indian visa application he had furnished all "wrong" information "to protect his cover". Raymond Sanders, who along with Tahoor Husain Rana ran an immigration business in Chicago, had recommended Headley's visa in July 16, 2007. He reportedly visited India many times between 2006 and 2008, drew maps, took video footage and scouted several targets for the attacks including the Taj Hotel, Oberoi Hotel and Nariman House. His reconnaissance provided vital information for the 10 LeT terrorists and their handlers, who launched the attack. "My 7 visits to India were directly from Pakistan and 1 from UAE. After receiving new passport I visited India 8 times, out of 8 times I visited Mumbai 7 times. Following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks I visited India on 7th March 2009 from Lahore to Delhi," he stated. In the second half of the deposition, Headley identified Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Sayeed from a clip that he was shown, and said a speech the JuD chief had given had inspired him. Headley revealed that Hafiz Sayeed was the one who had directed him on how to carry out his work, and that two terror attack attempts had been made before 26/11 but they failed, and that the same 10 people who carried out the Mumbai attack had twice visited India. A day before his deposition, Headley reportedly confessed that the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks were masterminded by Pakistan's terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and also had the approval of Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI). He further confessed he was provided financial support by ISI for recce of Mumbai. Besides, he also recced Vice-President's residence, India Gate and CBI office in New Delhi before the 2008 terror attacks were executed. "It is for the first time in the Indian legal history, one foreign terrorist would give his evidence through video link and his evidence will be recorded. And I feel his evidence is most useful because it may unfold many things behind the terror attack of 26 November," special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said. Headley is currently serving 35 years in an American prison after being convicted of being involved in the planning and execution of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, in which 166 persons were killed and 300 injured.
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