26/11 Accused Tahawwur Rana Seeks Court Nod to Contact Family, NIA Asked to Respond
26/11 plotter Tahawwur Rana, recently extradited from the US, has approached a Delhi court seeking permission to communicate with his family. The NIA has been directed to respond.
A Delhi court on Saturday issued notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on an application filed by Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The plea seeks to allow him some form of communication with his family during his custody.
The court directed the NIA to file its response by April 23, when the matter will be taken up for hearing. Rana is currently in NIA custody, following his extradition to India from the United States earlier this month.
Rana was remanded to 18-day NIA custody in a late-night court proceeding after his arrival in India. He is being held at the NIA Headquarters under strict CCTV surveillance.
Sources had earlier revealed that Rana is being provided vegetarian meals and is reportedly getting adequate rest. Security agencies are taking special precautions to ensure he does not attempt self-harm.
The NIA’s ongoing interrogation focuses on three key areas: Rana’s role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror plot, alleged links with Pakistan’s ISI, and his association with Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Rana is also being questioned regarding his close ties with co-conspirator David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American operative of Lashkar-e-Taiba, who is currently serving a prison sentence in the United States. Interrogations reportedly last up to 10 hours each day.
Rana faces multiple charges under Indian law, including conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, murder, and forgery. The NIA aims to unearth the broader international conspiracy behind the coordinated 2008 attacks, which left 166 people dead.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has sought to distance itself from the matter, maintaining that Rana is a Canadian national and the extradition was a bilateral matter between India and the United States.
The court will next hear Rana’s plea on April 23. A final decision on whether he will be allowed to contact his family is likely to be taken after reviewing the NIA’s response.
