A Special NIA court on Friday granted the National Investigation Agency 18 days of custody of Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Rana, who was extradited from the United States, arrived in India on Thursday evening after exhausting all legal options to resist extradition. He was produced before the Special NIA Court shortly after his arrival. The NIA presented strong evidence, including email communications involving Rana, to support the need for custodial interrogation.
According to the NIA, Rana played a crucial role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks by conspiring with David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, and members of Pakistan-based terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI). These groups are banned in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The agency stated that Headley had discussed the full plan of the attacks with Rana and had even provided him with details about his personal belongings and the involvement of other co-conspirators, including Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman.
The NIA emphasized that Rana’s extradition was the result of years of persistent efforts by Indian authorities. He had been held in judicial custody in the U.S. under the India-U.S. Extradition Treaty. With his arrival in India, the agency aims to uncover further details of the conspiracy and bring all those involved in the 2008 attacks, which killed 166 people and injured over 238, to justice.
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