Chicago: Following is the chronology of
major events relating to the arrest and hearing of Pakistani-
American LeT terror suspect David Coleman Headley's case:
Oct 3, 2009: FBI's joint terrorism task force arrests 49-year-old
Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley at Chicago's O'Hare
International Airport before boarding a flight to
Philadelphia, en route to Pakistan.
October 18, 2009: Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, a
resident of Chicago and an accomplice of Headley, arrested by
the FBI.
Oct 27, 2009: FBI files affidavit in a Chicago court alleging that
Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba was planning to
use Headley to carry out a major terror attack in India and
Danish newspaper 'Jyllands-Posten'.
Nov 30, 2009: Tahawwur Rana categorically denies any involvement in
the Mumbai attacks.
Nov 30, 2009: The detention hearing of Headley scheduled for
December 4 at a Chicago court indefinitely deferred.
Dec 7, 2009: Headley charged in a Chicago court with criminal
conspiracy in Mumbai terror attacks and having links with a
retired Pakistani army Major who liaised between him and
terror groups including LeT and HuJI.
Dec 8, 2009: US President Barack Obama says indictment of Headley,
is an "important day" in his effort to protect the people from
terrorists.
Dec 9, 2009: Headley pleads not guilty before a Chicago court where
he was produced. Next hearing postponed till January 12.
Dec 14, 2009: Headley appears to turned into informant to FBI to
avoid death penalty.
Dec 15, 2009: FBI says the Somnath temple in Gujarat, Bollywood
stars and Shiv Sena leaders in Mumbai were also the targets of
LeT, which was planning to carry out strikes with the help of
Headley and Rana.
Dec 29, 2009: FBI classifies arrest of Headley as its second biggest
case for the year 2009.
Jan 11, 2010: The status hearing of Headley postponed till Feb 23.
Jan 15, 2010: Ilyas Kashmiri, the dreaded Pakistani terrorist,
belonging to the Harakat-ul Jihad Islami, indicted in a US
court for the first time in connection with the plot to target
the Danish newspaper.
Jan 26, 2010: Tahawwur Rana pleads not guilty to the charges of
helping arrange the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and making
plans for an attack on the Danish newspaper.
Jan 27, 2010: Headley pleads not guilty to all the charges of
helping arrange the attack on targets in Mumbai and on the
Danish paper.
Feb 23, 2010: A US court adjourns till March 23 the status hearing
of Headley.
March 18, 2010: Headley is to appear before a US court in an apparent
bid to bargain for a lighter sentence and escape death
penalty.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 19, 2010, 00:34