Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is being interrogated for 8 to 10 hours daily by National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials as they investigate the broader conspiracy behind the attacks, according to a PTI report citing official sources.
Rana was extradited from the United States and remanded to NIA custody for 18 days by a Delhi court early Friday. As per court directives, he is undergoing regular medical checkups and has been permitted to meet his legal counsel.
What were Rana’s 3 demands from the NIA
Sources said Rana is cooperating with the NIA team, led by Chief Investigating Officer Jaya Roy. He has so far requested only three items: a pen, a notepad, and a Quran — all of which have been provided. No special food requests have been made, and he is receiving standard meals provided to other accused individuals.
Currently held in a high-security cell at the NIA headquarters in the CGO Complex, Rana is under 24-hour guard. The 64-year-old Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman is being questioned based on evidence gathered during the probe, including phone records linking him to co-conspirator David Coleman Headley, a U.S. citizen serving a sentence in the U.S.
Investigators are also examining Rana’s movements across northern and southern India shortly before the 26/11 attacks, which were orchestrated by Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba and left 166 dead and over 230 injured.
The different charges faced by Tahawwur Rana
Rana has been charged with conspiracy, murder, terrorist activity, and forgery. He was brought to the NIA headquarters early Friday morning after a Delhi court granted the agency 18 days of custody following his extradition from the United States.
The NIA had registered a case on November 11, 2009, under IPC Section 121A, Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and Section 6(2) of the SAARC Convention (Suppression of Terrorism) Act, naming Headley, Rana, and others.
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The investigation has also revealed the involvement of senior leaders from Lashkar-e-Taiba and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI), including Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Majid, Illyas Kashmiri, and Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed. These individuals reportedly acted in coordination with operatives from Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, identified as Major Iqbal and Major Sameer Ali.
In accordance with court orders, Rana is permitted to meet a lawyer appointed by the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) every other day and undergoes a medical check-up every 48 hours. “All standard procedures applicable to other arrested individuals are being followed,” an official confirmed.
