Tahawwur Rana likely plotted attacks like 26/11 across India: NIA to court

Over the next 18 days, the NIA will grill Rana to uncover the full 2008 Mumbai attack conspiracy that left 166 dead and over 230 injured

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on April 10 told a Delhi court that Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, may have conspired to launch similar large-scale attacks in multiple Indian cities.

 

  Rana, recently extradited from the United States, was presented before Special Judge Chander Jit Singh, who remanded him to 18 days of NIA custody. The agency argued that prolonged custodial interrogation was necessary to unravel the full extent of the 2008 Mumbai attack conspiracy and to explore potential plots beyond the financial capital.

 

“His [Rana’s] prolonged custody has been deemed necessary to facilitate an extensive interrogation aimed at uncovering deeper layers of the conspiracy. We suspect that the tactics used in the Mumbai attacks were intended for execution in other cities as well,” the NIA reportedly told the court, according to a source familiar with the proceedings.

 

 

NIA to retrace events of 26/11 with Tahawwur Rana

 

The agency further informed the court that Rana may be taken to various key locations across India as part of efforts to reconstruct the 17-year-old crime scenes. Investigators hope this exercise will help them gain a clearer understanding of the broader terror network and the logistical planning behind the attacks.

 

The NIA also said Rana’s detailed questioning was essential to gather crucial evidence, verify facts from past testimonies, and map out any additional sleeper cells or accomplices who may still be active.

 

Strict conditions during custody

 

Meanwhile, Judge Chander Jit Singh issued specific directives for Rana’s custody. The NIA has been instructed to conduct his medical examination every 24 hours and allow him to meet his lawyer every alternate day.

 

The court also directed that Rana be permitted to use only a soft-tip pen and meet his legal counsel in the presence of NIA officials—within audible distance to ensure security compliance.

 

18 days to uncover the full conspiracy

 

Over the next 18 days, the NIA will interrogate Rana to uncover the complete conspiracy behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people and injured more than 230. Rana is accused of facilitating the attack by helping Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, his childhood friend, carry out reconnaissance for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

 

The agency believes Rana’s questioning could yield critical leads that not only deepen understanding of the 26/11 plot but also expose other possible terror modules planned across India.

 

(With PTI inputs)