Tahawwur Rana not a flight risk, attorney tells court

WASHINGTON: Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, who was rearrested in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, is not a flight risk, his attorney has told a US court and proposed a USD1.5 million bond for his release.

Rana (59), was recently released from jail on compassionate ground after testing positive for COVID-19. However, he was rearrested in Los Angeles on June 10 following an extradition request by India.

US District Judge Jacqueline Chooljian of the Central District of California has scheduled his bond hearing for June 30.

“Rana should be released on a robust bond: secured by approximately USD1.5 million in property pledged by family and friends and under the supervision of his daughter, Lemaan Rana, a matriculating medical student and PH.D. candidate,” Amy Karlin, the Interim Federal Public Defender said in the court submission on behalf of Rana.

India seeks his arrest on a number of offences, including the conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit forgery for the purpose of cheating, and murder under sections of the Indian Penal Code. He is sought for his role in 2008 attacks in Mumbai.

nNEW DELHI: The policy vacuum triggered by a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order on the use of groundwater has impacted businesses across sectors. In view of the regulatory uncertainty, industry bodies have now approached the Jal Shakti ministry seeking relief on the use of groundwater, considering that more than 20,000 applications for no-objection certificates (NOCS) have been put on hold by the authorities.

In January 2019, the NGT had ordered the Centre to put on hold its new norms on groundwater use.

Representatives of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) wrote to Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and NITI Aayog vicechairman Rajiv Kumar on 16 June to resolve the regulatory uncertainty over granting NOCS.

The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), which issues the NOCS, has put the process on hold for critical and overexploited blocks since early 2019, following the NGT order involving a hospitality firm.

The tribunal further ordered