Following the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a co-conspirator in the Mumbai terror attacks, he has been placed under the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a duration of 18 days. Reports indicate that he is currently on suicide watch and is confined in a high-security cell at the NIA headquarters. He is subjected to constant monitoring, both through personnel and CCTV cameras. Rana is permitted to use only a soft-tip pen and can meet with his legal counsel only in the presence of NIA officials. His cell, measuring 14 feet by 14 feet, is situated on the ground floor of the NIA facility. Strict digital security measures are in place, and only 12 authorized officers from the NIA are allowed access. All his essential needs, including food, drinking water, and medical care, are provided to him within the cell.
The facility has been fortified since Rana's arrival, with increased deployment of Delhi Police and paramilitary forces. Access to the premises is tightly controlled, with no entries allowed without proper clearance. Rana, who holds dual Pakistani-Canadian nationality, arrived in Delhi following months of legal battles stemming from a promise made by then-President Donald Trump to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the extradition of those implicated in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. After exhausting his legal recourse against extradition from the United States, Rana was brought to Delhi. Judge Chander Jit Singh, overseeing a special NIA session, authorized 18 days of custody for Rana. He is accused of orchestrating the November 26, 2008, attacks that resulted in 166 fatalities, and the NIA aims to interrogate him to reveal more intricate aspects of the conspiracy.
The NIA plans to present substantial evidence against him, which they believe will lead to new findings. They have also expressed the need to explore his connections with other terrorists as well as those implicated in the Mumbai attacks. As a known associate of David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, who is a U.S. national and a primary mastermind behind the attacks, Rana is said to have conspired with him and members of identified terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI), in collaboration with co-conspirators based in Pakistan, to execute a three-day terror assault on India's financial hub.
The focus of the NIA’s questioning includes gathering more insights into his affiliations with Pakistan's LeT and potential connections to officials of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan's intelligence agency. They indicated that as part of their investigation to compile vital evidence and reconstruct events from 17 years ago, Rana may be taken to significant locations. This would aid in piecing together the crime scene and enhancing understanding of the broader terror network involved. Investigators also aspire to uncover essential information regarding his travels throughout northern and southern India, which occurred in the days leading up to the November 26, 2008, terror events. Reports state that during this period, Rana traveled to Hapur and Agra in Uttar Pradesh, as well as Delhi, Kochi, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai, accompanied by his wife, Samraz Rana Akhtar, between November 13 and November 21, 2008.
