New Delhi/ Chicago: India is "closely watching" the proceedings of a Chicago court, which is hearing charges against David Headley, a Pakistani-American accused of helping to plan the deadly 2008 terror attack in Mumbai.
"Our stand remains the same--we are watching today's proceedings very closely," External Affair Minister S M Krishna said on Thursday.
US Ambassador Timothy J Roemer and the country's National Intelligence Director Dennis C Blair met Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday ahead of Headley's court appearance.
Headley, a Pakistani-American, is charged with conspiring in the terrorist attacks on Mumbai. He is set to plead guilty before a Chicago court in an apparent bid to bargain for a lighter sentence and escape death penalty.
Headley, 49, who was arrested by the FBI in October last year, has moved a plea bargain at a court in Chicago which will come up for hearing Thursday night before US District Judge Harry Leinenweber.
A Chicago resident, Headley faces six counts of conspiracy involving bombing public places in India, murdering and maiming persons in India and providing material support to foreign terrorist plots and LeT; and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of US citizens in India.
He is also charged with plotting attacks against a Danish newspaper, which published a cartoon of Prophet Mohammad.
The Indian security establishment feels that if Headley is awarded lesser sentence, it would lend credence to suspicions that he may have been a double agent, working for both American agencies and the Lashkar-e-Toiba.
If convicted, Headley faces maximum death penalty. John Theis, Headley's lawyer, said his client will plead guilty, but declined to comment on whether he would do so to all the charges against him.
(With inputs from PTI and CNN-IBN)
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