Headley's status hearing adjourned till March 23

A US court today adjourned till March 23 the status hearing of Pakistani-American LeT operative David Headley, charged with conspiring in the Mumbai terror strikes and plotting attacks against a Danish newspaper.

Judge Harry Leinenweber of the US District Court, Northern District of Illinois, adjourned the hearing till March 23 after a brief proceeding which lasted for three minutes.

Headley's lawyer John Theis said he sought a month's extension because "the party is talking and we are reviewing the evidence".

Forty-nine-year-old Pakistani-American Headley was not present in the court during the hearing.

Theis had previously requested Leinenweber that their client's "presence be waived" at the status hearing, which means he would not be required to appear in court today.

After Headley's arraignment last month, Theis had said he would "review the evidence with Headley" and during the status hearing would report to the judge about how things are moving along and whether "we are making progress as to an ultimate disposition of the case".

Headley, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of plotting terror attacks in India and Denmark, remains detained in federal custody at the federal lock-up Metropolitan Correctional Centre. Headley was arrested by the FBI on October 18, 2009 in Chicago.

His co-accused Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana is set to appear for his status hearing tomorrow.