26/11 accused Rana's trial postponed till May

The trial of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, co-accused along with Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist David Headley in 2008 Mumbai attacks, has been postponed from February 14 to May 16 at the request of defence.

At a status hearing on Friday, US district judge agreed to delay the trial date of Rana, a Chicago businessman, to give the defence more time to prepare.

"The government shall file its response to defendant's under seal motions [144] and [149] by January 14, 2011 which will be followed by a reply by the defendant by January 21, 2011. The court will rule by mail," Samborn Randall, Chicago courtspokesperson, said.

The parties shall file a revised version of the agreed proposed jury questionnaire by January 28, 2011 and evidentiary hearing on government's motion to empanel an anonymous jury set for February 9,

the spokesperson said.

A Section 5 CIPA hearing set for March 14, 2011 at 10 am, the government shall file its Santiago proffer and provide defendant with transcripts of translated conversations by April 1, 2011. Jury trial reset to May 16, 2011 at 10:00 am, the spokesperson said.

A Pakistan-born Canadian citizen, the 49-year-old Rana, along with David Coleman Headley, was arrested by FBI on charges of plotting terrorist attacks in India and Denmark. Headley and Rana are residents of Chicago, with Rana running an immigration consultancy agency in Devon.

Rana had made several trips to India in the past several years along with his school-time friend Headley, who has also been arrested on the same charges.