Deadline to file indictment against Rana ending tomorrow

I / Chicago January 13, 2010, 11:52 IST

Pakistan-Canadian terror suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana is expected to be indicted this week as federal prosecutors here face January 14 deadline to file the indictment that may include additional charges resulting from the Mumbai terror attack.

Prosecutors allege that 49-year-old Rana, arrested by FBI in October last year on terror charges, "knew in advance" of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and complimented terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba for carrying out the terror strikes.

The grand jury indictment is expected to include additional charges against Rana resulting from the much more serious Mumbai terror attack in 2008, a report by ABC7News said quoting sources familiar with the investigations.

A Chicago court had in November last year given the FBI a 58-day extension to file indictment against Rana, whose wider involvement in an international terror scheme became apparent when co-defendant Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley began cooperating with the investigations.

Headley has been charged with conspiring in the Mumbai attacks and the US government says "he is cooperating in the investigation".

Law enforcement officials say there are major points of connection between Rana and Headley and the Mumbai attack.

These points are that Headley and Rana surveyed all the four places that the terrorists targeted in Mumbai - the Taj and Trident hotels; the CST train station and Nariman House.