
The prestigious National Defence College in New Delhi was one of the prime targets of David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, arrested by the FBI for plotting a major terror attack in India at the behest of Pakistan-based LeT, federal prosecutors have said.
Details of conversation between Headley and Rana, submitted by prosecutors to a Chicago court, indicates that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was giving priority to its attack on the National Defence College over other targets.
Attorneys from the US Department of Justice opposed the bail application of Rana, saying he is a danger to the community and might leave the country if set out on bail.
If convicted, Rana, Pakistani-born Canadian citizen and a resident of Chicago, faces a maximum sentence of 30 years.
He was arrested by the FBI on terror charges along with his school friend Headley, a US citizen, who was booked on the charges of plotting attacks in India and Denmark.
Headley's bail plea is scheduled for December.
The reference to the National Defence College as a target was made by the duo during their conversations on September 7, which was recorded by the FBI.
"In the same conversation, Headley and Rana discussed Denmark and other targets, including the National Defence College in India - Rana, in fact, used the English word 'target' in this discussion," the FBI informed the court. The Department of Justice also contested Rana's plea in his bail application that he was "duped" by Headley and that he is innocent.
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