A New Delhi court agreed Saturday to try admitted American David Headley and eight others for allegedly carrying out the deadly 2008 attacks in Mumbai, local media reported. The court's decision allows Indian investigators to seek Headley's extradition from the United States, where he is in prison after admitting to laying the groundwork for the three-day shooting rampage in India's largest city.
However, his plea agreement with US authorities said Headley would not be extradited if he co-operated with investigators. Headley last year was a US government witness in the trial against Chicago businessman Tahawwur Rana, who was convicted of supporting the Lashkar-e-Taiba and plotting an attack on a Danish newspaper but acquitted of charges involving the Mumbai attack. "The prosecution is still in the process of collecting more evidence,'' District Judge H.S. Sharma said, according to the Press Trust of India. Sharma ordered the nine to appear in court March 13 and issued warrants for five suspects not already in custody.