By IANS,
Chicago: Pakistan-born terror suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana, accused of providing “material support and resources” for terror plots in India and Denmark, has sought details of the charges to prepare for his defence.
Rana, a Canadian citizen living in Chicago, has also sought details of material support he and Pakistani-American co-defendant David Headley allegedly provided to Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), blamed for the Nov 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
The details were sought in a six-page motion filed in the US District Court in Chicago by his lawyer Patrick Blegen asking the government to “identify the material support and resources” that the duo allegedly provided for the India and Denmark plots.
“The charge lists ‘personnel’, ‘tangible property’, ‘money and false documentation and identification'” and the government should be required to “identify, with particularity”, information regarding all these, it said.
“The government should be required to identify, with particularity, terrorist activity, which Lashkar had engaged in or was engaging in,” as alleged in the indictment, the motion said.
Blegen said he is seeking the information so that Rana, 49, is “sufficiently apprised” of the scope of the government’s allegations and is “adequately prepared” for trial.
The information will also help “minimise or avoid undue surprise at trial and permit the defendant to successfully plead double jeopardy as a bar to later prosecution for the same offence”, the lawyer said.
Rana’s lawyer has filed five separate motions in the district court asking the government to disclose all allegedly similar crimes, wrongs or acts allegedly committed by the Pakistani-Canadian on which the prosecution intends to rely at trial.
They also seek details about criminal identification and history sheet of each potential government witness and general nature of evidence authorities intend to introduce at the trial.
Blegen said such information is necessary to effectively represent Rana, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Rana has also sought an extension of time to file additional pre-trial motions, which were initially scheduled to be filed by Feb 16.