Pakistani-Canadian terror suspect Tahawwur Rana under investigation for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, has stuck to his 'not guilty' plea to terror charges and is headed for trial, will appear before a US court in Chicago on May 11 for a status hearing in the case.
In a six-page motion filed in the US District Court, Northern District of Illinois, his lawyer Patrick Blegen sought "particulars" regarding the charge in the indictment that says Rana, a Chicago-based businessman, conspired to provide material support to terrorism in India and Denmark.
The verdict in the trial of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, co-accused in the Mumbai terror attacks with David Coleman Headley, is likely to come in earlier than expected as the Chicago businessman is unlikely to testify at his own trial. Rana's attorney Patrick Blegen said his client's defence team was still making a final decision, but that it was unlikely Rana would take the stand.
Pakistani Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana, co-accused in the Mumbai terror attack case, was arraigned in Chicago on Thursday for the trial that is set to begin on May 16. Rana's attorney Patrick Blegen told judge Leinenweber that he required time to translate about a 1000 pages of Urdu text in preparation for the trial set for May 16
Citing the need to be better prepared for trial, Pakistani-Canadian terror suspect Tahawwur Rana has asked the US government to provide him "specific" details of the kind of "material support" he provided to terror acts, saying so far the prosecution's allegations in the superseding indictment have been "vague".
Terror suspect Tahawwur Rana's lawyer said on Wednesday that he had never suggested that "Rana is Gandhi", a day after US prosecutors here claimed that the Pakistani-Canadian's beliefs were "akin" to those of non-violence advocated by Mahatma Gandhi.
Tahawwur Rana, the 26/11 co-accused, did not congratulate co-conspirator David Coleman Headley, unlike several others, on the success of the Mumbai terror attacks, attorney of the Pakistani-Canadian said during the trial.
Ahead of his February 24 hearing, Lashkar-e-Tayiba terror suspect Tahawwur Rana has sought a date from a court in Chicago for a pretrial conference to ensure a fair and expeditious trial for him, according to his lawyer.
Pakistani-American Leashkar-e-Tayiba operative David Coleman Headley on Tuesday said that he made a "fool" of Tahawwur Husssain Rana by involving him in the 26/11 Mumbai attack conspiracy.
A United States court has denied the writ of habeas corpus filed by Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, paving the way for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to issue a certification for him to be extradited to India where he is sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
The lawyer of Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana, co-accused with Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative David Headley in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, on Monday informed a federal court in Chicago that he was preparing for his client's February trial.
David Headley, who was involved in the Mumbai terror attack, was a liar and ditched his school time pal Tahawwur Rana, the Pakistani-Canadian's attorney told a Chicago court on Tuesday, claiming that their friendship was over and they would never meet again.
Two days after reports of Tahawwur Rana admitting to providing support to 26/11 terrorists at the behest of Pakistani government and the Inter-Services Intelligence, his attorneys on Thursday denied any "knowing involvement" of the Pakistani-Canadian in the attacks.
The status hearing of Pakistani-Canadian terror suspect Tahawwur Rana, charged with conspiring in the Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008, was on Wednesday adjourned for four weeks. "The hearing, originally scheduled for August 25, has now been shifted to September 20," Rana's attorney Patrick W Blegen said