Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, has asked a Delhi court for permission to speak with his family. The NIA has been directed to file its reply by April 23.
New Delhi: Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a businessman of Pakistani origin who is also a Canadian citizen, has filed a request in a special court asking for permission to talk to his family members while in jail. He is one of the accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case and is currently in custody in India.
Rana submitted his application through his lawyer on April 19 before Special Judge Hardeep Kaur. The court has asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to respond to Rana’s plea by April 23.
Rana, who is 64 years old, was sent to custody for 18 days by the court on April 10. The NIA had asked for his remand, stating that he had a key role in the planning of the deadly Mumbai attacks. They said that David Coleman Headley, another main accused in the case, had discussed the entire terror plan with Rana before coming to India.
According to the NIA,
“Headley sent an email to Rana detailing his belongings and assets” before the operation, because he was “anticipating potential challenges.”
The NIA also told the court that
“Headley also informed Rana about the involvement of Pakistani nationals Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman, who are also accused in the case, in the plot.”
David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, is a US citizen and a close associate of Rana. He played a major role in the planning of the 26/11 attacks, which shocked the entire country. The US Supreme Court recently rejected Rana’s review plea against his extradition to India on April 4, and he was then brought to India for trial.
The Mumbai terror attacks took place on November 26, 2008. A group of 10 terrorists from Pakistan came to Mumbai using the sea route from the Arabian Sea. They carried out deadly attacks at multiple locations in the city, including a major railway station, two luxury hotels, and a Jewish centre.
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The attacks lasted for almost 60 hours and led to the deaths of 166 people. It was one of the deadliest terror attacks in Indian history.
The case is still ongoing in the special NIA court, and the latest development is Rana’s request to speak with his family while in custody. The court will hear the NIA’s response to his plea on April 23.
