Chicago:
The final deliberations against Tahawwur Hussein Rana, charged with involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks and providing material support to Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, will resume on Monday.
The jury from diverse ethnic backgrounds started the process on USA vs Rana case yesterday after more than two weeks of trial, in which his childhood friend David Coleman Headley, co-accused in the Mumbai terror attacks, was the star witness.
If convicted on the three counts -- helping 26/11 attackers, giving material support to LeT and planning a terror strike in Denmark -- 50-year-old Pakistani-Canadian Rana faces a possible life sentence.
Officials were tightlipped as to when the jury would give its verdict on this terrorism-related case, which has grabbed international attention over the role of Pakistan's ISI in the Mumbai terror plot.
Journalists from various parts of the world including India, Denmark and Canada are camping outside the Chicago court to report on this trial and the jury verdict.
The jury, which is meeting behind closed doors at the federal court house in Chicago, would announce its verdict only when they arrive at a consensus on all the three counts of charges against Rana.
Except for the jury, no one has access to the room. Once the jury reaches its decision, it would inform US District Judge Harry D Leinenweber, who in turn would inform the federal prosecutors and the defence attorneys.
Once the verdict is given, the judge would then set a sentencing date, which is expected to be a few months later.
Yesterday, the jury posed two questions to the defence and prosecution. It asked whether Pasha (Abdur Rahman, a retired Pakistani Army major), was involved with LeT or ISI.
It also wanted to know whether Al Qaeda terrorist Illyas Kashmiri was associated with LeT.
After consultations, judge Harry D Leinenweber told the jury that they have to rely on "collective memory", which means that they have to depend on material that is available in public domain.
According to the prosecution, Pasha and Kashmiri had been in close touch with Rana and Headley in the run-up to the 26/11 attacks.
The jury was also provided with copies of the audio and video tapes along with transcripts, besides a set of all the exhibits including the large number of email exchanges of Rana, Headley and many others related to the case, which were shown as evidences by the defence and federal attorneys during the trial that lasted more than two weeks.