Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has reportedly admitted his role in the 2008 carnage.
According to an India Today TV report, Rana told the Mumbai Crime Branch that he acted as a trusted agent of the Pakistani army and was closely associated with Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Rana, who is currently in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, disclosed that both he and his associate David Coleman Headley underwent several training sessions with LeT. He also claimed that the group functioned primarily as a spy network, sources added.
Sources further stated that Rana admitted to having been in Mumbai during the 26/11 attacks. He said he had inspected locations such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and confirmed that his presence was part of the larger plan.
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He also acknowledged that the idea of setting up an immigration office of his firm in Mumbai was his own and that related financial transactions were made under the guise of business expenses.
According to the information, Rana believed the attacks were carried out with the collaboration of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He also claimed that he was sent to Saudi Arabia by the Pakistani army during the Khaleej War.
Following the revelations, Mumbai Police are preparing to formally arrest Rana and take him into their custody.
Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, was extradited to India earlier this year after the US Supreme Court dismissed his review petition on April 4. He was taken into judicial custody by the NIA in May and is being interrogated under multiple charges, including conspiracy, murder, commission of a terrorist act, and forgery. His judicial custody was last extended by a Delhi court till July 9.
The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, executed by 10 Pakistani terrorists, claimed 166 lives over a 60-hour siege that targeted iconic city landmarks such as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident, CSMT, and the Jewish centre Nariman House.
