A local court has granted pardon to David Coleman Headley, one of the main accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, accepting him as a prosecution witness. The court agreed to Headley's plea to turn an approver in return to pardon while imposing certain certain conditions on him. It has asked him to disclose all information that he had earlier revealed to the US court.
Headley's offer to turn an approver was conveyed to the court by special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who sought time to consult with investigating officers on this point. He appeared before the sessions court through a video link from an undisclosed location in the US. “I have received the charging document filed against me in this court. It charges me with same conduct for which I was charged in the US. I had pleaded guilty to the charges in the US and I admitted that I was participant in these charges,” Headley told the court. “I accepted responsibility for my role in those offences in my plea agreement (in US). I also agreed to make myself available as a witness in this court. I appear here ready to answer questions regarding these events if I receive a pardon from this court,” he said.
This was when Nikam said that Headley was proposed to become an approver provided he was given pardon. Headley currently is in a US prison, under a deal that saves him from the death sentence or extradition, but he has not been totally out of bounds for India. In 2010, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) team was allowed to interrogate Headley extensively.
Between 2007 and 2008, it is alleged that Headley made multiple visits to Mumbai to scout possible targets for the attacks from Pakistan and provided detailed inputs like video footage, routes and GPS coordinates to ensure the 10 terrorists could cause the maximum casualties.
