Plotter to be tried for war on State, murder, terrorism

INDIAN GOVT ALSO ASSURED THE U.S. THAT HE WILL BE PROTECTED IN JAIL AND WON'T BE TORTURED DURING HIS CUSTODIAL PERIOD

- Neeraj Chauhan

NEW DELHI: Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key 2008 Mumbai attacks accused who landed in Delhi on Thursday, will be tried for waging war against the state, murder and terrorism among other charges that attract the death penalty after Indian and US authorities didn't take capital punishment off the table during the extradition deal.

The sections under which the National Investigation Agency (NIA) named Rana as an accused and sought his extradition include section 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war), 121A (conspiracy to wage war), 302 (murder), 468 and 471 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 18 and 20 of stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which deal with terrorist activity.

According to the assurances given by Indian government to the US, Rana cannot be tried for offences other than in which extradition was sought, and those offences that are crimes on American soil as well as India.

"All these offences under which NIA has charged Rana are crimes in US also," said a senior NIA official, requesting anonymity. In effect, this means that the death penalty was not off the table when the extradition process was finalised.