The plotters of Mumbai attack also wanted to make a Bollywood movie for launching aspiring actor Rahul Bhatt, son of film director Mahesh Bhatt, but dropped the plans because Lashkar-e-Tayyaba opposed it.
David Coleman Headley, co-accused in the ongoing Rana trial, disclosed this in his testimony on the fourth day of his deposition before a court here during questioning by Rana’s attorney Patrick W. Blegan.
Rana, a Pakistani Canadian, was not able to go ahead with his plans as it was against the ideals of LeT, which opposed such a move. Headley said Rahul wanted to break into movies but his father was not helping him. “So (I) befriended him, so that they can get to bigger picture,” he said.
He said he introduced himself to Rahul as a former Army ranger and he had started liking him.
Headley said he had, in fact, told him not to go to South Mumbai on November 26, the day LeT sent 10 terrorists for a major terrorist attack which over the next three days killed more than 160 people.
Earlier, he said there was once a talk of bringing Rahul to the tribal areas of Pakistan for “sightseeing”.
However, he disagreed with the defence attorney that the plan was not to kill or kidnap him.
“We invite guests and do not kidnap them,” Headley said.
However, Headley agreed that making friendship with Rahul was against the basic surveillance and espionage teachings that he had received from LeT and ISI.
During testimony Headly said he visited a nuclear power plant in India on the direction of Major Iqbal, a Pakistan ISI official, in April 2008. According to court documents, in September, 2008 Headley had a meeting with Sajid Mir, his ISI handler, and Abu Qahafa (while driving within Pakistan) during which Sajid informed Headley that Lashkar had dropped earlier plans for the attackers to attempt escape and instead decided that they would fight to the death.
Sajid explained that once the attackers knew they were going to die in the attack, LeT commanders Hafiz Sayeed, Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi and other gave lectures to the boys about the glory of martyrdom. —PTI