India may ask the US to challenge court order on Tahawwur Rana

NEW DELHI: India may ask the United States to appeal in a higher court against the "light" sentence given to Tahawwur Rana, an accomplice of Mumbai attack terrorist David Headley, and seek his conviction in the 26/11 terror case.

Government sources said New Delhi was upset with the Rana's sentencing of 14 years in jail followed by five years of supervised release for providing material support to Pakistan-based terror group LeT and for backing a "dastardly" plot to attack a Danish newspaper.

The sources said the prison term is "too short" and the Pakistani-Canadian was not convicted for the Mumbai terror attack despite being a close associate of Headley.

"After taking legal opinion, we may ask the US prosecutors to appeal in a higher court against the lower court order to enhance the jail term. We may also ask them to challenge the order relieving Rana from the charges of Mumbai terror attack," a source said.

US District Judge Harry D Leinenweber had yesterday sentenced 52-year-old Rana to 14 years in jail followed by five years of supervised release after hearing both the government attorney and the counsel for the defendant.

Rana was convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to a plot from October 2008 to October 2009 to commit murder in Denmark, including a horrific plan to behead employees of Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper, and throw their heads on to the street in Copenhagen, as well as providing material support, from late 2005 to October 2009, to LeT, US Attorney's Office, Chicago said.