Following is the chronology of major events relating to the arrest and hearing of Pakistani- American LeT terror suspect David Coleman Headley’s case: October 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.
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Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, a resident of Chicago and an accomplice of Headley, arrested by the FBI.
October 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’
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November 30, 2009:
Tahawwur Rana categorically denies any involvement in the Mumbai attacks.
November 30, 2009:
The detention hearing of Headley scheduled for December 4 at a Chicago court indefinitely deferred.
December 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.
December 8, 2009:
US President Barack Obama says indictment of Headley, is an “important day” in his effort to protect the people from terrorists.
December 9, 2009:
Headley pleads not guilty before a Chicago court where he was produced. Next hearing postponed till January 12.
December 14, 2009:
Headley appears to turned into informant to FBI to avoid death penalty.
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.
December 29, 2009:
FBI classifies arrest of Headley as its second biggest case for the year 2009.
January 11, 2010:
The status hearing of Headley postponed till Feb 23.
January 15, 2010:
Ilyas Kashmiri, the dreaded Pakistani terrorist, belonging to the Harakat—ul Jihad Islami, indicted in a U.S. court for the first time in connection with the plot to target the Danish newspaper.
January 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.
January 27, 2010:
Headley pleads not guilty to all the charges of helping arrange the attack on targets in Mumbai and on the Danish paper.
February 23, 2010:
A U.S. court adjourns till March 23 the status hearing of Headley.
March 18, 2010:
Headley, who pleads guilty to 12-count of terror charges, including plotting the 26/11 Mumbai attacks at the behest of Pakistan-based LeT and conspiring to target a Danish newspaper, escapes death penalty.