Mumbai attack American victims want Headley to depose

Washington, Aug 23: American nationals and relatives of those killed in Mumbai terror attacks want the confessed LeT operative David Headley to take the stand in a New York law suit they have filed against Pakistan's ISI for plotting the bloody mayhem.

The victims have also stuck claim of USD 10 million per death and USD 3 million per injury from the Pakistan's spy agency on the lines of compensation received by those killed in the Pan Am terror bombing case.

The kin of those killed have filed cases against the ISI and its chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha and the organisation's former chief Gen Nadeem Taj.

"Plaintiffs will seek deposition of Headley regarding the ISI's involvement in the Mumbai attacks as well as any information he has regarding whether the ISI was operating without the consent and knowledge of the Pakistani government," said attorney James P Kreindler, who represents the American victims of 26/11 in the New York court.

As many as four such cases have been filed against the ISI in New York. Kreindler represents the plaintiffs in all the four.

Kreindler in his recent submission before the New York court referred in detail the statements by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Department of Justice with regard to the ISI in the David Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana case related to the Mumbai terrorist attacks in Chicago.

During grand jury proceedings, David Headley testified under oath that he "had been asked to perform espionage work for ISI" and that, at the behest of the ISI, he was on "assignment to conduct surveillance in Mumbai".

During the hearing, Headley testified that the ISI trained him to go into India on secret missions, including in preparation for the Mumbai attacks.

PTI