On Day 2 of the trial of the 26/11 co-accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana, accused of helping to plan the deadly Mumbai terror strikes, the prosecution's star witness David Coleman Headley has revealed a plot to kill Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. The prosecutors in the Chicago court presented some email exchanges between him and Rajaram Rege, who Headley called a PR agent of the Shiv Sena. Mumbai Police sources too have confirmed to NDTV that the plan was to assassinate Thackeray during their anniversary celebrations in Shiv Sena Bhawan. Sources said when the National Investigating Agency (NIA) interrogated David Headley after his arrest, he had given details about the possible attack on Bal Thackeray by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Headley had told the interrogators that LeT leader and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed had discussed the plot to assassinate Bal Thackeray with him, sources added. And that is the reason, Headley said, Hafiz Saeed had asked him to do a recce of the Shivaji Park area in Central Mumbai, where the Shiv Sena Bhawan is located.
Headley also told interrogators that in 2008, before the 26/11 happened, he had visited the Shiv Sena Bhawan, sources said. At that time, Headley had befriended Rajaram Rege who was a Shiv Sena worker and had asked him for the passes to the Sena's anniversary celebrations in 2009.
Headley also told interrogators that in 2008, before the 26/11 happened, he had visited the Shiv Sena Bhawan, sources said. At that time, Headley had befriended Rajaram Rege who was a Shiv Sena worker and had asked him for the passes to the Sena's anniversary celebrations in 2009.
After Headley's latest revelations, NDTV spoke to Rajaram Rege who said though he met Headley, he hardly interacted with him. "He came with a person called Vilas who was his gym trainer... this gentleman asked me that he wanted to see the Sena Bhawan. I clearly told him this is not a tourism spot. That is the only two-second interaction I had with him and the two gentlemen went off," Rege said. Rege also rubbished Headley's claims that he was the PR agent of Shiv Sena. "I was not holding any post. In Shiv Sena, I am a member of the Shiv Sena party," Rege said. Meanwhile, Sena chief Bal Thackeray has hit back in a statement saying, "We are not afraid of Headley. We have seen many Headleys like this. It is because of the Congress government at the state and Centre that he has dared to do this. My Shiv Sainiks are more than enough to protect me. Our role/policy is in the favour of the nation and it will continue that way."
