Posted on 03/17/2010 11:08:28 AM PDT by James C. Bennett
Concerned over reports that Mumbai terror suspect David Headley may enter into a plea bargain with prosecutors in Chicago, Indian security establishment feels that it would lend credence to suspicions that he may have been working for the Americans.
Indian officials, who have been watching the progress in the case at Chicago in US, are worried about reports emanating from US that Pakistani-American Headley would be pleading guilty in an attempt to get lighter sentence.
Headley, who has been charged with hatching conspiracy in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has sought plea bargain under American laws, a senior government official said.
The laws there provide for agreement between federal prosecutors and individuals under criminal investigation, which permit them to give the government information about crimes with some assurances that they will be protected against prosecution.
The official said any lenient sentence now will "confirm" that Headley, who was arrested on October three last for his links with the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, was an American agent.
A lenient sentence is a matter of concern for India and may give credence to the suspicion that he was an American agent, the official said, adding if the sentence was something like 100 years, then there was no problem.
India has been trying to get access to 49-year-old Headley, who has been charged with conducting recce of installations attacked by the Lashkar terrorists on 26/11 in Mumbai.
Headley had earlier pleaded not guilty to the 12-count superseding indictment filed against him on January 14 but now moved for a "change of plea" which will be heard by US District Judge Harry Leinenweber on Thursday.
The American terror suspect had got away with a lesser sentence after he was arrested in 1998 for smuggling heroin into the US from Pakistan as he cooperated with the investigation in the case.
He was sentenced to less than two years in prison and thereafter went to Pakistan to conduct undercover surveillance operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The American charged with scouting targets for the 2008 assault on Mumbai that killed more than 160 people will plead guilty this week, court records showed on Thursday.
David Headley, 49, has been cooperating with US investigators since his arrest in October and has been held without bond.
In a court filing, a change of plea hearing was scheduled for Thursday afternoon in US District Court in Chicago.
Headley faces two sets of charges and the documents did not specify which were involved in his plea change. His attorney was not immediately available for comment.
He previously pleaded not guilty to charges of providing material support to terrorism and conspiracy to bomb public places in India. Headley, who has close ties to Pakistan, had also pleaded not guilty to charges he was plotting to attack a Danish newspaper for publishing cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad, which offended many Muslims.
Prosecutors said Headley made several scouting trips to India and to Denmark, using an immigration business as cover for his travels.
He then passed on information to his contacts with the Muslim militant group Laskar-e-Taiba in Pakistan, according to court documents. Two Pakistanis have also been charged in the US case, but are not in custody.
The owner of the immigration business, Pakistani-born Chicago businessman Tahawwur Rana, 49, has pleaded not guilty to similar charges and is being held.
India suspended a 4-year-old peace process with old rival Pakistan after the November 2008 attack on Mumbai by 10 Islamist militants that killed 166 people. India has demanded action against Pakistani-based militants, but has signalled it is ready for a new round of talks.
Headley's case number is 09-CR-830.
Of interest.
The sunshine rule doesn’t apply to the dictators. Cameras should be in every meeting room, live feed on tv 24/7.
Headley should be charged with 166 counts of murder.
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