New Delhi– A special court in Delhi has granted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) permission to collect and analyze voice and handwriting samples from Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national accused of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The samples will be compared with evidence recovered during the investigation, including recorded conversations and written documents allegedly linked to Rana.
According to officials, the NIA plans to match Rana’s voice with intercepted telephonic conversations he reportedly had with David Coleman Headley, a co-accused in the 26/11 attacks. His handwriting will also be examined against materials such as instructions, coordinates, and maps, which investigators believe he passed to Headley to help identify terror targets in Mumbai.
Rana, a former officer in the Pakistan Army’s Medical Corps, was recently extradited to India from the United States. He is accused of helping facilitate Headley’s surveillance activities for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Pakistan-based terror group responsible for the 2008 attack that killed 166 people.
The NIA is also preparing to take Rana to Mumbai and other cities as part of an effort to reconstruct the events leading up to the coordinated assault on India’s financial capital.
On April 28, a special NIA court extended Rana’s custody by 12 days to allow investigators more time for questioning. Special Judge Charan Jit Singh accepted the prosecution’s request, presented by senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, who argued that additional time was needed to fully uncover Rana’s role in the deadly attack.
The NIA told the court that Rana had been evasive during questioning and expressed its intention to take him to multiple locations he allegedly visited during prior trips to India. The court has also mandated regular medical check-ups every 24 hours and permitted Rana to speak with his legal counsel every other day.
Rana was questioned by Mumbai Police officers during his earlier 18-day remand, during which he denied any involvement in the 26/11 attacks. He claimed that his longtime friend and co-accused, David Headley, was solely responsible for the reconnaissance and planning. Headley, who is currently serving a prison sentence in the United States, had turned approver in the case and admitted to conducting surveillance missions in Mumbai and other Indian cities on behalf of LeT.
During interrogation, Rana acknowledged visiting multiple Indian cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, and Kerala. When asked about his visit to Kerala, he claimed it was to meet a known acquaintance and provided the individual’s name and address to investigators.
The NIA’s ongoing efforts to piece together the events leading to one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in India’s history could bring further clarity to Rana’s alleged role—and, potentially, hold accountable those who aided the attackers behind the scenes. (Source: IANS)
