A Delhi court has extended the NIA custody of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, by 12 days. Special Judge Chander Jit Singh of Patiala House Court granted the extension on Monday, April 28, 2025, following a plea by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Rana's previous 18-day custody with the NIA had expired, prompting the agency to seek further remand to continue their investigation into the full scope of the conspiracy.
The NIA has charged Rana with several offenses, including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the government of India, murder, and forgery, along with relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. They allege that Rana played a crucial role in planning the 26/11 attacks, working closely with David Coleman Headley, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative who conducted reconnaissance for the attacks at the behest of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed. Specifically, Rana is accused of assisting Headley in obtaining a visa and creating a false identity to facilitate his travel to India.
During the court proceedings, the NIA argued that Rana's custody was essential to confront him with voluminous evidence, including documents, emails, travel records, and testimonies gathered during the investigation. The agency also stated that Rana has been uncooperative during interrogation, necessitating further questioning to uncover the complete extent of the conspiracy and identify all individuals involved. The NIA further claimed that Rana was involved in planning attacks similar to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to target multiple Indian cities, including Delhi. They seek to take him to various locations to retrace the events that occurred 17 years ago.
The 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which took place between November 26 and 29, 2008, involved ten LeT terrorists who infiltrated the city by sea and carried out a series of coordinated shooting and bombing attacks at various locations, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Oberoi Trident Hotel, and the Nariman House Jewish community center. The attacks resulted in the deaths of 166 people, including six Americans, and injuries to hundreds more, causing widespread devastation and trauma.
Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian-American, was extradited to India from the United States on April 10, 2025, after a lengthy legal battle. He was initially arrested by the FBI in 2009 for his involvement in a failed LeT plot in Copenhagen. Although a US court acquitted him of direct charges related to the 26/11 attacks, he was convicted of providing material support for terrorism and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Upon his arrival in India, Rana was presented before a special NIA court at Patiala House in Delhi, where the NIA sought his custodial interrogation. The court has directed the NIA to conduct Rana's medical examination every 24 hours and allow him to meet with his lawyer every alternate day in the presence of NIA officials. The court had previously denied Rana's request to speak to his family, citing concerns about jeopardizing the ongoing investigation.
