M A I N   N E W S

Upset India wants Headley, Rana tried here
Ashok Tuteja/TNS

The sources said India had prior sense that Rana might be acquitted in the light of evidences produced by the US prosecution in the case. “We don’t normally depend on prosecution of terror suspects in other countries…in this case, we also can’t say that the US authorities did not produce enough evidence against him because they had presented everything they had against him,’’ they added.

The sources said the judgement acquitting the Pakistan-born Canadian businessman Rana would be studied thoroughly by the Indian agencies. India’s investigations, meanwhile, would remain on track.

India would use the evidence produced in the Chicago court as additional matter and seek the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to get access to Headley and Rana. In this connection, the sources pointed out that US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, during her visit to India last month, had assured that the Indian investigators would get access to the duo for interrogation in connection with the Mumbai attack conspiracy.

“We are disappointed that Rana was acquitted on the count of conspiracy to provide material support to the Mumbai terrorist attacks,” UK Bansal, Secretary, Internal Security in the Ministry of Home Affairs, told reporters.

Bansal said the government had taken note of the verdict pronounced by a US District Court in the Rana case following the finding by the jury that the Pakistani-Canadian was guilty on two of the three counts.

He said the National Investigation Agency, which is probing the case against Headley, Rana and others, had decided to wait for proceedings to conclude in the US court before filing a charge sheet in an Indian court against the accused.

“While Rana’s lawyers have stated that they will file an appeal against the verdict, it is not yet clear whether the US authorities would also file an appeal against the acquittal on one count of conspiracy,” Bansal said.