Rana acquitted in 26/11 case, found guilty of aiding LeT

Chicago, Jun 10 (PTI) Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana
on Friday escaped a possible life sentence when he was
acquitted by a US court on charges of plotting the 2008 Mumbai
attacks but was found guilty of supporting Pakistan-based
terror group LeT and planning a strike in Denmark.
A 12-member jury here reached a split verdict after two
days of deliberations and ruled that 50-year-old Rana was not
guilty of conspiracy to provide material support to the Mumbai
attacks which killed 166 people, including six Americans. If
he was convicted on this count, he could have received a
maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Announcing the verdict, US District Judge Harry D
Leinenweber said Rana was guilty of providing material support
to Lashkar-e-Taiba, which had carried out the 26/11 attacks,
and plotting to bomb Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper which
had published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
Rana faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on
the two counts combined and remains in federal custody without
bond, a US Justice Department statement said.
No sentencing date was set.
"A Federal Court jury has convicted defendant Rana on
one count of conspiracy to provide material support to the
Denmark terrorism plot and one count of providing material
support to LeT, and not guilty of conspiracy to provide
material support to the Mumbai terrorist attacks," said
Justice Department spokesman Randall Samborn.
The verdict left Rana, who was a co-accused in the Mumbai
attacks with David Headley, stunned. His lawyers
said they would appeal against the ruling as there was an
"error" in the trial.