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Updated: May 27, 2011 12:15 IST

David Coleman Headley, prime accused in the Mumbai case, on Thursday said that he wanted to cultivate filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's son Rahul Bhatt as an ISI agent.

Speaking before a Chicago court during questioning by Rana's attorney Patrick W Blegan, Headley also said that Tahawwur Hussain Rana, Mumbai attacks co-accused, had an ambitious plan to enter Bollywood by launching Rahul Bhatt, son of film director Mahesh Bhatt, in a movie that he wanted to make.

Rana, a Pakistani Canadian, was not able to go ahead with his plans as it was against the ideals of Lashkar-e-Taiba, who opposed such a move.

Headley, who introduced himself to Rahul as a former Army ranger, also told the court that he had started liking him.

He, in fact, told him not to go to South Mumbai on November 26, the day LeT sent 10 terrorists for a major terrorist attack, which over the next three days killed more than 160 people, Headley said.

Earlier, Headley conceded that there was once talk of bringing Rahul to the tribal areas of Pakistan for "sightseeing".

However, he disagreed with the defence attorney that the plan was not to kill or kidnap him. "We invite guests and do not kidnap them," Headley said.

However, he agreed that creating a relationship with Rahul was against the basic surveillance and espionage teachings that he had received from LeT and ISI.

(with inputs from PTI )

