26/11 Accused Tahawwur Rana Seeks Court Nod to Contact Family
Rana filed a plea on April 19; NIA asked to respond by April 23 as per Delhi court directive.
New Delhi: Tahawwur Hussain Rana, accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has approached a Delhi court seeking permission to communicate with his family. The plea was filed by his legal counsel on April 19 before Special Judge Hardeep Kaur, who has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to submit its response by April 23.
The 64-year-old Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin was remanded to 18-day NIA custody on April 10. Rana is alleged to be a key associate of David Coleman Headley (alias Daood Gilani), a U.S. national and one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks.
According to submissions made by the NIA, Headley had discussed the entire terror plot with Rana ahead of his trip to India. The agency also claimed that Headley, anticipating legal hurdles, sent an email to Rana detailing his possessions and financial matters.
The NIA further informed the court that Headley had apprised Rana about the involvement of Pakistani nationals Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman in the conspiracy, both of whom are co-accused in the case.
Rana was extradited to India following the U.S. Supreme Court’s April 4 dismissal of his petition challenging the extradition request.
The 26/11 Mumbai attacks involved ten armed Pakistani terrorists who infiltrated the city via the Arabian Sea and launched coordinated assaults on prominent locations including a railway station, two luxury hotels, and a Jewish center. The attacks claimed 166 lives and lasted nearly 60 hours.