Chicago: The 12-member jury of a federal court in Chicago on Wednesday held close-door deliberations against Tahawwur Rana, who is charged with involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks and providing material support to Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
After two-hours of intensive confabulations, the jury posed two questions to the defence and prosecution. It asked whether Pasha (Abdur Rahman, a retired Pakistani Army major), was involved with LeT or ISI.
It also wanted to know whether al-Qaeda terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri was associated with LeT.
After consultations, Judge Harry D Leinenweber told the jury that they have to rely on "collective memory", which means that they have to depend on material that is available in public domain.
If convicted on the three counts -- helping 26/11 attackers, giving material support to LeT and planning a terror strike in Denmark, 50-year-old Rana, a Pakistani Canadian, faces a possible life sentence.
According to the prosecution, Pasha and Kashmiri had been in close touch with Rana and Headley in the run-up to the 26/11 attacks. There was no official word as to when the jury would arrive at a consensus on the charges against Rana.
It could even spill over to the next week or even further, court officials said adding that the verdict depends solely on the jury, which deliberates in a closed door room. A large contingent of media, including a number of foreign journalists, waited outside the court room for the verdict, reflecting the huge interest the case has generated the world over.
Family members of Rana, including his wife Samraz, were also seen anxiously waiting outside the court room. In an informal chat with reporters, she said, her husband was innocent and has been wrongly implicated and dragged into by Rana's childhood friend David Coleman Headley.
"I have full faith in the American judiciary system. I am confident that we will get justice," she said.
Rana himself, his attorneys said, has resorted to praying and hoping for the best from the jury's verdict.
Once the verdict is given, the judge would then set a sentencing date, which is expected to be a few months later. Comprising of representation from various sections of the society in Chicago, the jury began its deliberations at 9:30 am local time under closed door settings.
The jury was also provided with copies of the audio and video tapes along with transcripts, besides a set of all the exhibits including the large number of email exchanges of Rana, Headley and many others related to the case, which were shown as evidences by the defence and federal attorneys during the trial that lasted more than two weeks.
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