New Delhi– A Special NIA Court on Friday remanded Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, to judicial custody until June 6 after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) concluded its initial round of questioning.
Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national recently extradited from the United States, is alleged to have played a key role in aiding David Coleman Headley—his childhood friend and co-conspirator—by passing on handwritten notes containing instructions, maps, and coordinates used to plan the deadly attacks that killed 166 people in Mumbai.
The NIA had collected Rana’s voice and handwriting samples in court on May 3, intending to match them with recorded conversations between him and Headley. Officials say the evidence could help establish Rana’s involvement in the reconnaissance and logistical support for the attack, orchestrated by the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
According to sources, the agency had planned to take Rana to Mumbai and other locations to reconstruct the events leading up to the November 26 attacks. During his time in custody, he was also questioned by officers from the Mumbai Police.
Rana has denied any involvement in the attacks, telling investigators that he had “no connection whatsoever” with the planning or execution of the operation. He claimed that Headley acted independently in conducting surveillance for LeT. Headley, currently serving a prison sentence in the U.S., previously admitted to carrying out reconnaissance missions across multiple Indian cities on behalf of the terrorist group.
Rana also disclosed to investigators that he had traveled to Mumbai, Delhi, and Kerala. When questioned about his visit to Kerala, he said it was to meet a known acquaintance and provided the person’s name and address to the authorities.
On April 28, after his 18-day NIA remand expired, the agency requested and was granted an additional 12-day extension to continue the interrogation. Special Judge Charan Jit Singh approved the extension, citing a plea from Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, who argued that more time was needed to uncover Rana’s full role in the attack.
The NIA had previously informed the court that Rana was being evasive during questioning. As a safeguard, the court ordered that he undergo a medical examination every 24 hours and be allowed to consult his legal counsel every other day.
A former officer in the Pakistan Army’s Medical Corps, Rana is now facing trial in India for his alleged role in one of the worst terrorist attacks in the country’s history. (Source: IANS)
