Tahawwur Hussain Rana, accused of conspiring in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, remains in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi, where he is being questioned in connection with the broader conspiracy surrounding the deadly 2008 assaults.
Rana, who was extradited from the United States earlier this week, has reportedly requested only three items since being placed in a high-security cell at the agency’s CGO Complex headquarters — a copy of the Quran, a pen, and paper.
“He requested for a copy of Quran which we provided. He is seen offering Namaz five times in his cell,” an NIA officer told Hindustan Times, describing the 64-year-old as a “religious man”.
Sources said that Rana, originally from Pakistan and now a Canadian national, is under continuous surveillance. Though provided the pen and paper, authorities are ensuring the writing instrument is not misused.
“Beyond that, he has not made any other demands,” the officer added.
Rana, a close associate of David Coleman Headley — also known as Daood Gilani — is facing questioning over his precise role in the planning and execution of the 26 November 2008 attacks, which left 166 people dead across multiple sites in Mumbai.
Investigators are reportedly confronting him with a series of leads, including dozens of phone conversations with Headley, who is currently imprisoned in the United States for his role in the attacks.
Officials are also scrutinising Rana’s meetings with several individuals in the lead-up to the assaults, particularly a contact in Dubai believed to have had prior knowledge of the plot.
The NIA is also examining Rana’s suspected links to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) — the terror outfit responsible for orchestrating the 26/11 carnage.
Rana was handed over to the NIA on Wednesday and brought to the national capital on Thursday evening. On Friday, a Delhi court granted 18-day custody of Rana to the agency, facilitating extended interrogation.
He is being treated “as any other arrested person with no special treatment,” another officer said.
As per court directives, he is permitted to meet a lawyer assigned by the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) every alternate day, and he undergoes a medical check-up every 48 hours.
Sources suggest Rana's extensive travels across northern and southern India in the days leading up to the attacks are also under the scanner, with officials hoping they might help piece together new details about the conspiracy.
Follow us
