Tahawwur Hussain Rana Tahawwur Hussain Rana ( ; born January 12 , 1961 ) is a Pakistani Canadian resident of Chicago , USA who is an immigration service businessman and a former military physician . In 2011 , he was convicted of providing support to the militant group Lashkar - e - Taiba and of allegedly plotting an attack on the Danish newspaper Jyllands - Posten . He was however not found guilty of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks , a charge for which he was originally detained . Expressing disappointment at the verdict the Government of India stated that National Investigative Agency would charge Rana in a court in Delhi . On January 17 , 2013 he was sentenced to 14 years in prison . Personal life . Tahawwur Hussain Rana was born and raised in Chichawatni in the province of Punjab , Pakistan . He attained his education from the Cadet College Hasan Abdal , a military residential college in Pakistan ( where he met and befriended David Headley , then still known as Daood Gilani ) , before becoming a citizen of Canada . Rana and his wife immigrated to Canada in 1997 and obtained Canadian citizenship in June 2001 . They are both physicians by profession . Rana has served as a captain general duty practitioner in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps . He lived primarily in Chicago and owns several businesses including an immigration service agency . He also owns a home in Ottawa where his father and brother stay . His younger brother Abbas Rana is a journalist with " The Hill Times " and had been reporting on politics and the Canadian parliament for seven years . Abbas says his brother is innocent and has no links with terrorism ; " To the best of my knowledge , these charges are false . I know my brother . I love my brother . He ’ s a man of integrity , he ’ s honest , and he ’ s a hard - working person . " Rana ' s arrest had a devastating impact on the family . Writing under the heading " Why The Hill Times supports its reporter , Abbas Rana , " the weekly ' s publisher said " As I read about his brother ’ s case in news stories from Chicago , to India , to Canada , I can ’ t help but notice the innuendo that appears to imply guilt in the reporting on allegations of terrorism . " When the story of Rana ' a arrest broke out in American media , the news was kept hidden from his father who is in poor health . His father , who views cable news , was purposely shielded from watching news . When he gradually learned of the story , he became hospitalised . While still an officer in the Pakistan Army , Rana deserted the country after he declined from taking a posting to the Siachen glacier . Because of this , he was not able to enter Pakistan . He claims that he had contact with Major Iqbal , an alleged ISI official , who promised him he would try to get Rana back on Pakistan , on the condition if Rana helped Iqbal ’ s friend ( Headley ) get back to Pakistan . Based on this , Rana ' s lawyer said Rana had no knowledge of the Mumbai attack and that Headley happened to manipulate Rana ’ s immigration business as a cover for his visits to Mumbai . In the same interrogation , Rana also testified that Headley may have possibly worked for the Lashkar - e - Taiba and been involved in militancy in Kashmir . Arrest . Rana and Headley were charged and arrested on 18 October 2009 for plotting attacks on the offices of Jyllands - Posten , the newspaper which published the controversial cartoons of prophet Mohammad . During the subsequent interrogation , it was found out that Rana had traveled to Mumbai and had stayed in Taj Mahal Palace & Tower , one of the places which was attacked by terrorists for over four days in November 2008 . His trial commenced on May 16 , 2011 in Chicago , Illinois . However , Rana maintains that he visited India with his wife on the pretext of interviewing people wishing to emigrate to Canada and the US , as part of his immigration consultancy business . Rana and his family say he is a pacifist and has been duped , cheated and framed by Headley . Trial . The opening statements of the trial were made on May 23 , 2011 in Chicago . Key testimony at the trial was provided by Governments witness and Rana ' s childhood friend Headley who also provided details of Pakistan ' s Inter - Services Intelligence support for Lashkar - e - Taiba . On June 9 , 2011 jury convicted him of supporting terrorism by providing material support to Lashkar - e - Taiba and planning an aborted plot to bomb a Danish newspaper , Jyllands - Posten . He was acquitted of the third charge of involvement in 2008 Mumbai attacks . He faced up to 30 years in prison . Rana ' s attorney said Rana was " in a state of shock " following the conviction . When he made his way to the court room to hear the verdict , he appeared very tense . Members of his immediate family were present during the hearing . In January , 2013 , Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison . External links .