Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatts son Rahul Bhatt apparently asked Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Toiba operative and his then friend,David Headley,to buy him some books with intriguing subjects: Counterinsurgency,a narrative about modern warfare and the use of military force; Extreme Self Defense; and The Covert Bug Book,which is about how to find eavesdropping devices and stop them dead. Headley ordered some sinister titles for himself too: International Fugitive,which is described as a passport to clandestine international travel; Silent Killing - Nazi Counters to Fairbairn-Sykes Techniques,which is the annotated English translation of the classic German World War II manual; How to Bury Your Goods,the complete manual of longterm underground storage; Boxing Mastery,a guide to make the transformation from enthusiastic beginner to proficient pugilist; Combat Conditioning,functional exercises for fitness and combat sports; Ragnars Guide to Interviews,Investigations and Interrogations,written by Americas most-esteemed survival expert Ragnar Benson; Executive Protection,a professional guide to bodyguarding; and Brutal Art of Ripping,Poking and Pressing Vital Targets,a book about brawling and martial arts. These and other new details are contained in court documents unsealed this week by a Chicago judge in the trial of Headley and his alleged accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana. Besides giving yet another peek into the mind that surveyed the targets for the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai,the documents reveal new information about Headleys shopping trips and restaurant preferences in Mumbai as well as the amount of video footage he recorded for his Lashkar bosses who planned 26 The 30 documents,including four edited versions,relate to the trial of Canadian-Pakistani Rana. They were unsealed and made public following a plea by the Chicago Tribune newspaper. The documents,particularly the Governments Memorandum in Opposition to Defendant Ranas under Seal Motion to Suppress Evidence,lay bare how well Headley had blended with some of South Mumbais popular spots during his intermittent stay in the city from 2006 to 2008 as he surveyed targets for 26 In or about December 2007,Headley received an email from a third party located overseas,who advised Headley that he was researching a role for a film in which he would portray a suicide bomber,and requested Headley to obtain three books,titled Counterinsurency,Extreme Self Defense,and The Covert Bug Book, the document adds. The third party is an apparent reference to Rahul Bhatt,who was supposed to feature in a film inspired by the 7/7 London underground bombings but was subsequently shelved. Bhatt had befriended Headley without knowing his true identity and has since been cleared of all suspicion. According to the prosecution,records of an American Express credit card account held in the name of David C. Headley reflect that Headley made purchases at numerous locations of significance to the 26/11 attacks. The court documents,accessed by The Indian Express through research and investigative website Intelwire.com,show that not only did Headley stay at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai on April 30,2007,but also used his credit card at four locations inside the hotel. Headley used his card at the Mont Blanc boutique in the hotel on November 11,2006,at Souk,the Mediterranean restaurant there,on September 19,2007,the Sea Lounge coffee shop on September 30,2007,and the Nalanda book shop there on July 20,2008. Headley seemed particularly fond of the modern European fine dining restaurant and delicatessen Indigo,which is located in a Colaba lane behind the Taj and is popular with foreigners and Mumbais rich. He used his card there on December 12,2006,September 23,2007,April 9,2008 and April 14,2008. Headley also stayed at the Oberoi hotel on May 2,2007. The hotel,which was also attacked during 26/11,was known as the Hilton Towers during Headleys stay,the court document says. Headley also made credit card purchases at other locations in the Nariman Point and Fort areas of South Mumbai. On November 11,2007,he was at Trishna,an Indian seafood restaurant in a Kalaghoda lane which is highly recommended by travel guides and is much sought after by foreign tourists. He also shopped at Calzzare leather store in the CR2 mall in Nariman Point on April 14,2008. In addition,the credit card records establish that Headley made purchases in the vicinity of Nariman House and Mumbais central railway station,both of which were also attacked on November 26,2008, the document says but does not give details of these transactions. As reported earlier,Headley provided extensive video surveillance of potential targets,including the Taj Mahal Hotel. According to the unsealed documents,Headley estimated that this footage was up to a total 50 hours and he also supported them with handwritten reports.
