The bail plea of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and declared a fugitive by India has been rejected by US court, asserting that he has not negated the “risk of flight”.
Tahawwur Rana, a 59-year old person, a childhood friend of David Coleman Headley, was rearrested on June 10 in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement in the Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed.
Pakistani-American LeT terrorist Headley was involved in plotting the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. He was made an approver in the case, and is currently serving a 35-year prison term in the US for his role in the attack. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian, the US District Court of Los Angeles, in his order on December 10 said that Rana “presented a robust bail package” and offered conditions that significantly mitigate the risk of flight.
But the “Court cannot find that he has negated the risk of flight” and as such granted the request of the US government to the continued detention of Rana.
Meanwhile, the US government in the court has supported India’s request that the documents submitted by it in support of extradition of Rana be not made public.
The extradition documents presented by India apparently include information about Rana’s involvement in the Mumbai terrorist attack that would be shared with him.
“Although the United States has no affirmative discovery obligations in extradition matters, in this case, it has agreed to provide Rana a document in its possession from an unrelated ‘state court’ proceeding in India. India has requested that the United States take steps to limit public dissemination of this document,” US Attorney Nicola T Hanna said in a court submission on Friday.
