Headley's status hearing on Mar 23 cancelled after guilty plea

Yoshita Singh
Chicago, Mar 21 (PTI) A status hearing in the case of
Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley, which was set for
March 23, has been cancelled following his confession in a US
court about involvement in the Mumbai attacks.
With 49-year-old Headley, an operative of the Pakistan-
based LeT, pleading guilty to all 12 terror charges against
him in a Chicago court on March 18, a status hearing in his
case that was earlier scheduled for March 23 has been
cancelled, officials said.
Under a plea bargain, he pleaded guilty to the charges of
conspiracy involving bombing public places in India, murdering
and maiming persons and providing material support to LeT,
besides aiding and abetting the murder of six US citizens in
the 26/11 attacks that killed 166 people.
A US Attorney's office spokesman told PTI that Headley --
who also confessed to plotting an attack against a Danish
newspaper which published cartoons of Prophet Mohammad -- will
remain at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre (MCC) located
in downtown Chicago for the time being.
Since his arrest in October last year, Headley has been
held at the MCC. Co-accused Pakistani-Canadian Rana too is in
the same lock-up, though the two "friends from a Pakistani
military school" stay separately and do not meet each other
inside the lock-up.
Headley is also likely to testify against Rana, a Chicago
businessman who is also charged in both the Mumbai and Danish
plots.
The allegations against Rana are sketchier, but
authorities said he let Headley pose as an employee of his
immigration business to use as cover for his travels overseas.
Headley has stated in the plea agreement that Rana knew
details of the 26/11 attacks and about his frequent travels to
Pakistan and meetings with LeT terrorists regarding the
strikes.
The spokesman further said no date yet has been fixed for
a hearing on Headley's sentencing.
As per the plea agreement struck with the US government,
Headley would continue to share information and can be
questioned by Indian and other foreign governments, but on
American soil only.
In return, Headley would not be given the death penalty,
nor would he be extradited to India, Pakistan or Denmark.
His attorneys have said Headley has agreed to be
interviewed by foreign governments, who will send
representatives to the United States for the sessions. PTI YAS
RDM