LeT plotted to kill Thackeray during US trip: Headley

Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence and terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba had hatched a plot to assassinate Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, according to the testimony of David Coleman Headley. Under the plan, the Thackeray senior and his son Uddhav Thackeray would have been killed during one of their US trips.


The Pakistani handlers of the 26/11 Mumbai attack culprits nursed deep-seated hatred against the leader, Headley, one of the co-conspirators in the case, said. He had scouted the Shiv Sena’s headquarters to ferret out details.

The key person in the Shiv Sena for Headley was Reggie or Rajaram Rege — the PRO of Uddhav. He wanted to penetrate into Shiv Sena through Rege. Headley testified that he shared his communication with Rege with his handlers in Pakistan — Rana, Major Iqbal, Sajid and Pasha.

Headley said he forwarded the e-mail exchanges with Reggie to Rana. In June 2008, he returned to Pakistan and met Major Iqbal and Sajid. He said Sajid wanted him to go back to India by end of June and was given a list of targets for surveillance in Mumbai. These includes, Taj, Chabad House, Maharashtra state police headquarters and naval headquarters.

Headley said he had mentioned about assassinating Thackeray to Rana in a joking way.