US govt opposes release of Tahawwur Rana, says he is a flight risk

Washington, December 1

The US authorities has moved a movement in a federal court docket in California opposing the discharge of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, who has been declared a fugitive by India for his involvement within the 2008 Mumbai terror assault case, describing him a flight danger.

Rana, 59, a childhood pal of David Coleman Headley, was re-arrested on June 10 in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement within the 26/11 Mumbai terror strike during which 166 individuals, together with six Americans, have been killed.

Pakistani-American LeT terrorist Headley was concerned in plotting the 2008 Mumbai terror assault. He was made an approver within the case and is at present serving a 35-year jail time period within the US for his position within the assault.

Rana is a declared fugitive in India. His extradition listening to is scheduled for February 12.

In a movement filed earlier than the US District Court Judge in Los Angeles Jacqueline Chelonian, on Monday, US lawyer Nicola T Hanna urged the court docket to disclaim Rana’s movement for launch for failure to show that he was not a flight danger or that particular circumstances exist and proceed to detain him pending decision of this extradition continuing.

Hanna’s movement is available in opposition to the newest effort of Rana to keep away from detention pending extradition, by capitalising on the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rana’s lawyer has argued that pandemic warrants his launch from custody.

Hanna mentioned a fugitive going through extradition is entitled to bail provided that he may show that he was not a flight danger, was not a hazard to the neighborhood, and that “special circumstances” warranted his launch from custody.

Rana in his court docket submitting has mentioned the Bureau of Prison (BOP) was unable to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and as such he needs to be launched from custody. Hanna argued that BOP was dedicated to combating COVID-19 and defending the inmates in its custody.

“In addition to ignoring the BOP’s ability to manage the pandemic, Rana ignores the significant increase of COVID-19 cases in the population in which he wishes to be released,” Hanna mentioned, including, in contrast to the BOP, Rana won’t have rapid entry to frequent COVID testing, and may he test positive, remedy.

Following the rise of COVID-19 instances, Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Centre started testing inmates, together with Rana. MDC-LA has not obtained the outcomes of his COVID-19 test carried out on November 27. Accordingly, it has positioned Rana in isolation, pending affirmation that he’s not positive for COVID-19.

In denying Rana’s preliminary movement for launch in July, the court docket had mentioned he constituted a flight danger given his important overseas contacts and the chance he may face a loss of life sentence in India.

The court docket additional discovered that this excessive danger of flight was not mitigated by the roughly $1.5 million of property and money supplied by Rana’s associates. PTI