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Highlights
- Tahawwur Rana, 26/11 terror assault plotter, a declared fugitive in India
- Rana, 59, a pal of Pakistani-American LeT terrorist David Headley
- US courtroom rejects $1.5 million bail utility, calls him a flight threat
Washington:
A US courtroom has rejected the USD 1.5 million bail utility of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, who has been declared a fugitive by India for his involvement within the 2008 Mumbai terror assault case, describing him a flight threat.
Rana, 59, a childhood pal of David Coleman Headley, was re-arrested on June 10 in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement within the 2008 Mumbai terror assault by which 166 folks, together with six Americans, had been killed.
He is a declared fugitive in India.
US District Court Judge in Los Angeles Jacqueline Chooljian, in her 24-page order dated July 21, denied bail to Rana arguing that he’s a flight threat.
Describing Rana as a flight threat, the US authorities opposed his launch on bail, arguing that if he had been to flee to Canada, he might escape the potential of a dying sentence in India.
“Given the stakes, an allowance of bail in any amount would not guarantee Rana’s presence in court. Granting bail would invite the possibility of embarrassing the United States in the conduct of its foreign affairs, straining its relationship with India,” Assistant US Attorney John J Lulejian had advised the courtroom.
On the opposite hand, Rana’s legal professional advised the courtroom that the 26/11 accused will not be a flight threat and has proposed a USD 1.5 million bond for his launch.
Rana, in his defence, has argued that the US’s choice to not extradite his co-conspirator, David Headley, to India is inconsistent and bars his extradition.
While Rana “has presented a robust bail package and proffered conditions which significantly mitigate the risk of flight, the court cannot find that he has negated the risk of flight and accordingly grants the Detention Request (of the government) on that basis,” Judge Chooljian stated.
For somebody dealing with conspiracy to homicide and homicide fees in India, the motivation to flee to keep away from extradition is powerful, the courtroom stated.
Pakistan-born Rana accomplished Army Medical College there, and served within the Pakistani Army as a physician for greater than a decade, however finally abandoned.
He is presently a Canadian citizen, however was a resident of Chicago the place he had a enterprise. According to the courtroom papers, he has additionally resided in and traveled to Canada, Pakistan, Germany and England and speaks seven languages.
If he flees to Canada, he might successfully keep away from publicity to the dying penalty as such nation’s extradition treaty with India accommodates a provision which permits extradition to be refused if the offence for which extradition is requested is punishable by dying in India and isn’t punishable by dying in Canada except India offers assurances {that a} dying penalty wouldn’t be executed, federal prosecutors had stated.
“There is no question in the court’s mind that given Rana’s significant foreign ties, particularly to Canada, and the potential death penalty awaiting him in India if he is extradited on and convicted of the most serious pending charges, he is a flight risk,” the courtroom stated.
According to the courtroom papers, Rana had examined constructive for COVID-19 at Terminal Island in Los Angeles on April 28, 2020, however was asymptomatic and has since recovered.
He examined unfavourable within the final three assessments on June 13, June 15 and June 25.
According to the federal prosecutors, between 2006 and November 2008, Rana conspired with David Headley, also referred to as “Daood Gilani”, and others in Pakistan to help Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harakat ul-Jihad-e-Islami, each US-designated terrorist organisations, to plan and perform the Mumbai terrorist assaults.
Pakistani-American LeT terrorist David Headley was concerned in plotting the 2008 Mumbai terror assault. He was made an approver within the case, and is presently serving a 35-year jail time period within the US for his function within the assault.
India seeks his arrest on quite a few offences, together with the conspiracy to commit homicide, conspiracy to commit forgery for the aim of dishonest, and homicide underneath related sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He is hunted for his function in 2008 terrorist assaults in Mumbai.
The 2008 Mumbai assault was certainly one of India’s most horrific terrorist assaults by which 166 folks had been killed and over 300 injured as 10 heavily-armed terrorists from Pakistan created mayhem.
Pakistani nationwide Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive, was hanged to dying on November 21, 2012.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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