How India Got David Headley to Testify in 26/11 Case: Ujjwal Nikam Reveals Strategy
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who led the prosecution in the 26/11 attack case, has revealed the strategy used to bring David Headley into the Indian judicial process as an approver. Headley, an American-Pakistani terrorist and Lashkar-e-Taiba operative who conducted surveillance for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was arrested in 2009.
Initially, Mumbai Police officials and Central Government stakeholders opposed bringing Headley as an approver. Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria said his officers travelled to the US to interrogate Headley, though extradition was not possible due to his 35-year plea agreement with American authorities.
Nikam proposed an alternative approach to then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, explaining the difficulties in securing extradition. Instead, Headley was made an approver to testify in the case. He later provided intelligence to Indian and US authorities and was sentenced to 35 years in a US prison.
