David Headley’s cross examination postponed

Cross-examination of Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks case in Mumbai’s special court has been postponed by a day.

The defence lawyer would get to cross-examine him on Wednesday, as Headley’s counsel in the USA is not available on Tuesday. The defence lawyer of Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, the lone accused facing this trial, will cross-examine Headley.

Special judge G.A. Sanap had fixed March 22 for Headley’s cross examination on the request of Headley’s counsel. However special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on Monday informed the court that due to some reasons Headley’s counsel would not be available on Tuesday and hence the court proceedings should be postponed by a day. Accepting his request the court fixed March 23 as the date for Headley’s cross-examination.

Headley, in his week-long deposition as an approver in the 26/11 attacks case did not utter Zabiuddin’s name even a single time. However, his defence lawyer Khan Abdul Wahab has said he wanted to cross-examine him. The defence has chosen to cross-examine Headley as he believes that the prosecution would still use Headley’s statement against his client as a circumstantial evidence.

The court has fixed four consecutive days for Headley’s cross-examination because advocate Khan had told the court that he would require this much time to complete the cross-examination.

Based on Headley’s own statement, Jundal’s lawyer had also made an application seeking to make Headley’s wife Shazia and friend Tahawwur Hussain Rana accused in this case for aiding and abetting Headley in the 26/11 attacks.

The court has, however, said that it would hear and decide this application after Headley’s deposition is over because there is no urgency to decide this application before the completion of Headley’s statement.