The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Wednesday issued a notice in response to a plea filed by Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack conspiracy case. Rana sought permission to communicate with his family under jail regulations.
Special NIA Judge Chanderjit Singh directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file a response to the application and asked for a report from the Tihar Jail authorities regarding Rana’s request. Rana, who remains in judicial custody, is scheduled to be held until June 6, with the next hearing set for June 4.
This is not the first time Rana has sought to contact his family. The court had previously denied his request to speak with his family over the phone while he was in NIA custody. Rana's lawyer, Piyush Sachdeva, argued that as a foreign national, Rana has a fundamental right to communicate with his family, especially since they are concerned about his well-being while in custody. However, the NIA opposed the request, citing the ongoing investigation and the potential risk of sensitive information being leaked.
Rana, who was extradited from the United States, has been under scrutiny by the NIA for his suspected involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. As part of the investigation, the NIA recently collected voice and handwriting samples from him. Rana complied with the court’s directive, providing handwriting specimens by writing various alphabets and numerical characters. Advocate Piyush Sachdeva confirmed that Rana fully cooperated with this process.
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The Special NIA Court had previously approved the agency’s request to obtain these voice and handwriting samples. Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin, is accused of playing a crucial role in the planning and execution of the deadly 26/11 attacks. He was extradited to India from the United States in connection with his alleged involvement in the attacks. Since his extradition, he has been in NIA custody in New Delhi, where investigators are probing his suspected ties to the perpetrators of the attack.
The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, carried out by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, resulted in the deaths of over 170 people and left hundreds more injured. Rana's extradition and interrogation are a significant part of India's continued efforts to bring all the conspirators of the attack to justice.
Also Read: Mumbai attacks accused Tahawwur Rana in Tihar jail till June 6
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