Rana may seek terror groups' help to flee US

Chicago, Jan 18: Federal prosecutors seeking Tahawwaur Rana's detention argued that Rana, indicted for conspiracy in the Mumbai terror attacks, may seek financial help from terror groups to escape from the country.

They said that being charged for conspiracy, the new charges carries a harsher jail sentence of life imprisonment for Rana.

Responding to the petition filed by Rana, appealing the revocation of his detention order, the prosecutors in a 33-page government response said that the idea of Rana's easier extradition if he fled US and if possibly caught again 'should be more unsettling than reassuring to the court, considering his ties to terrorist organizations'.

The Prosecutors Daniel Collins and Victoria Peters filed the response on Jan 15, after Rana and co-accused David Coleman Headley were indicted on Jan 14 on 12 counts of being part of conspiracy to attack Mumbai and Denmark by a grand jury.

Magistrate judge Nan Nolan rejected Rana's bail plea, citing that he could escape the country to evade a possible 30-year prison term.

Charged with supporting the conspiracies to commit murder and to bomb places of public use in India, Rana now faces a maximum jail term of life imprisonment, which heightens the chances him seeking ways to flee.

OneIndia News