Rana to be arraigned on Jan 25

Chicago, Jan 25: The arraignment of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the Pakistani-Canadian, indicted for involvement in Mumbai terror attacks will be held on Monday, Jan 25.

Rana will be responding to the charges leveled against him before US Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys in the District Court in Northern District of Illinois, US attorney office said.

A federal grand jury indicted both Rana and co-accused David Coleman Headley on Jan 14 on charges of involvement in 26/11 attacks, including plotting terror attacks against a Danish newspaper.

In the 12 count superseding the indictment, Headley is charged in three counts which include providing material support in the terrorism plots in Denmark and India, along with support to the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Rana, in custody after his arrest in 2009, has been appealing for bail, which has been opposed by the federal prosecutors on the grounds that the accused might flee the country if bail is granted.

In his defence, Rana said that already termed as a Pakistani army deserter, he would become an international fugitive if he flees US.

The hearing on Rana's bail plea was canceled last week and has not been rescheduled yet.

Along with Rana and Headley, Ilyas Kashmiri, a Pakistan-based terrorist linked to al- Qaeda, and Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed, a retired major in the Pakistani military have also been indicted in the case.

David Coleman Headley, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan 27.

OneIndia News