A US court on Monday rejected Pakistan born Canadian Tahawwur Rana's plea for a new trial in cases related to the Mumbai and Denmark terror plots, saying there is no reason to believe the court erred in convicting David Headley's co-accused for aiding Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The District Court said the defendant had failed to demonstrate that the court erred and a new trial is warranted, and that the government has presented substantial evidence of defendant's knowledge and participation in the acts.
In June last year, after a three-week trial, 50-year-old Rana was convicted of providing material support to the banned LeT, and of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in connection with a foiled plot involving Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten. He was, however, acquitted of charges that he aided the terrorists who carried out the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.
Rana had appealed for a new trial in September last year citing that the jury was confused and that he did not get a fair trial. According to documents released by the US District Court of the Northern District of Illinois, the court applied the correct legal standard, considering the totality of the evidence and properly denied the motion to quash.
The documents said that the court correctly concluded that, even considering Headley's statements, probable cause existed.
The court particularly noted a September, 2009 conversation in which Rana and Headley discussed Denmark as a "target" and said there was significant evidence regarding the defendant's knowledge and actions.