Chicago:
The trial of Pakistani-Canadian terror suspect Tahawwur Rana, charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks, is expected to begin on November 1 and go on for a tentative four weeks, with a US district court judge saying the trial process should start "sooner rather than later."
During Rana's status hearing, Judge Harry Leinenweber set November 1 as a "tentative" date for commencing the trial of the 49-year-old terror suspect after both prosecution and defence lawyers agreed to it.
Later, Rana's lawyer Patrick Blegen said the "government has estimated the trial to continue for four weeks but that is a tentative estimation".
"There is only one defendant. There are other defendants but the government does not have them in its custody. So it is a one-defendant trial. The prosecution is the one who has to put on its case, so it would know better than I as to how long the trial last. The government has said four weeks is a tentative estimation," Blegen said.
Rana's co-accused LeT operative David Coleman Headley had pleaded guilty in March to plotting the Mumbai terror attacks. However, Rana had stuck to his 'not guilty' plea during the last hearing.
Judge Leinenweber fixed June 17 as the next date for Rana's status hearing. Wearing an orange jumpsuit with his legs shackled, Rana was also present in the court during the hearing which lasted about 25 minutes. He appeared calm and nodded when the Judge set the tentative date for trial.
"The trial date may or may not be November 1 but currently it is set tentatively for November 1," Blegen said. He said Rana is still living under "onerous" conditions" at the federal lock up Metropolitan Correctional Centre. "That is one of the reasons why we would like to have a trial date as soon as is possible...Even the prosecution does not want to delay the trial and they are happy to go (for trial) whenever everyone is ready to go," he said.
During the hearing, Leinenweber said he feels the trial should begin "sooner rather than later" and both sides should block dates for the trial in advance.
Chicago's top federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who is personally handling the case, was also present for the hearing. He too agreed that dates should be blocked in advance for the trial and if required adjusted accordingly.
Blegen told the court that even Rana would like his trial to start "as soon as possible".
When asked after the hearing if Indian investigators have sought to interrogate Rana, Blegen said, "I have not been contacted by anybody. Obviously at this juncture I cannot let any investigators from anywhere speak to him. If they (Indian authorities) contact me I would think about it."
The Judge also ruled on several pre-trial motions that Rana had filed in the court. Rana had filed a motion seeking 'Bill of Particulars', asking the government to provide him specific details of the kind of "material support" he is charged with providing to terror acts in Mumbai and Denmark, citing the need to be better prepared for trial. The Judge granted this motion.
"I am very satisfied with the ruling today. We asked for more details of the charges against Rana and that has been granted," Blegen said. The judge also granted a motion of "disclosure of favourable evidence".
During Rana's status hearing, Judge Harry Leinenweber set November 1 as a "tentative" date for commencing the trial of the 49-year-old terror suspect after both prosecution and defence lawyers agreed to it.
Later, Rana's lawyer Patrick Blegen said the "government has estimated the trial to continue for four weeks but that is a tentative estimation".
"There is only one defendant. There are other defendants but the government does not have them in its custody. So it is a one-defendant trial. The prosecution is the one who has to put on its case, so it would know better than I as to how long the trial last. The government has said four weeks is a tentative estimation," Blegen said.
Rana's co-accused LeT operative David Coleman Headley had pleaded guilty in March to plotting the Mumbai terror attacks. However, Rana had stuck to his 'not guilty' plea during the last hearing.
Judge Leinenweber fixed June 17 as the next date for Rana's status hearing. Wearing an orange jumpsuit with his legs shackled, Rana was also present in the court during the hearing which lasted about 25 minutes. He appeared calm and nodded when the Judge set the tentative date for trial.
"The trial date may or may not be November 1 but currently it is set tentatively for November 1," Blegen said. He said Rana is still living under "onerous" conditions" at the federal lock up Metropolitan Correctional Centre. "That is one of the reasons why we would like to have a trial date as soon as is possible...Even the prosecution does not want to delay the trial and they are happy to go (for trial) whenever everyone is ready to go," he said.
During the hearing, Leinenweber said he feels the trial should begin "sooner rather than later" and both sides should block dates for the trial in advance.
Chicago's top federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who is personally handling the case, was also present for the hearing. He too agreed that dates should be blocked in advance for the trial and if required adjusted accordingly.
Blegen told the court that even Rana would like his trial to start "as soon as possible".
When asked after the hearing if Indian investigators have sought to interrogate Rana, Blegen said, "I have not been contacted by anybody. Obviously at this juncture I cannot let any investigators from anywhere speak to him. If they (Indian authorities) contact me I would think about it."
The Judge also ruled on several pre-trial motions that Rana had filed in the court. Rana had filed a motion seeking 'Bill of Particulars', asking the government to provide him specific details of the kind of "material support" he is charged with providing to terror acts in Mumbai and Denmark, citing the need to be better prepared for trial. The Judge granted this motion.
"I am very satisfied with the ruling today. We asked for more details of the charges against Rana and that has been granted," Blegen said. The judge also granted a motion of "disclosure of favourable evidence".
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