Pakistani-Canadian terror suspect Tahawwur Rana,accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks,appeared before a US district court,where his lawyer sought another hearing which will deal with classified evidence in the case. Clad in an orange jumpsuit and white sneakers,49-year-old Rana,with grey hair and beard and sporting silver-rimmed glasses,sat in the court room as the judge heard a team of lawyers at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse on Tuesday. Rana's lawyer Patrick W Blegen told US District Court Judge Harry Leinenweber that he was preparing for the trial and currently working on translating his client's transcripts. "We're working with the translators. Some of the tapes are very lengthy," Blegen said at the hearing,which was originally scheduled for December 2. Blegen requested the judge for another hearing on CIPA (Classified Information Procedures Act)-related issues,which will deal with classified evidence that he is trying to use. Starting January 14 next year,the government will file a pre-trial document that sets forth some of the government's evidence to help what it is trying to prove. A week later on January 21,both the government and defence will have pre-trial motions about what evidence they should be allowed to use or not use at the trial. On January 28,both sides will be able to respond to each other in writing on what they each filed and Leinenweber will then make rulings and decide on Rana's fate on February 14,the date of the trial. Rana,who was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 15 this year,had pleaded not guilty,while co-accused David Headley had pleaded guilty in March to plotting the Mumbai carnage. Rana was accused with Pakistani-American Headley in a 12-count superseding indictment for plotting the 26/11 attacks and providing material support to LeT to carry out the attacks that killed 166 people,including six Americans. He is also accused of plotting an attack on a Danish newspaper which published cartoons of Prophet Mohammad.
