New Delhi: Tahawwur Rana, the Pakistani-Canadian national accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, has filed a petition in a Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court seeking permission to speak with his family members over the phone from jail. The NIA Special Court is expected to hear his plea on Wednesday.
Rana stated in his petition that communication with his family is necessary as they are concerned about his well-being. This marks his second such request, after a similar petition was rejected by the court last month. On April 24, Special Judge Chander Jit Singh denied Rana’s application following opposition from the anti-terror agency, which argued that allowing phone calls could enable Rana to share critical information with his family.
Rana, a former officer in the Pakistan Army's Medical Corps, was recently extradited from the United States to India to face trial for his alleged role in the 26/11 terror attack, which killed 166 people and injured hundreds in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. On May 9, the Special Court sent him to judicial custody until June 6, temporarily halting NIA’s questioning.
On May 3, the NIA collected voice and handwriting samples from Rana in the presence of the judge. These samples are intended to be compared with recordings of his telephone conversations with co-accused David Coleman Headley, who has admitted to involvement in the attacks. Rana is suspected of passing handwritten notes containing instructions, coordinates, and maps to Headley, which were used to scout targets during the attacks.
During his custody, Rana was also questioned by Mumbai Police, during which he denied any connection to the planning or execution of the attack. He claimed that Headley, a childhood friend and co-accused, was solely responsible for reconnaissance and planning. Headley, currently imprisoned in the United States, turned approver in the case and admitted to conducting reconnaissance missions across India, including Mumbai, on behalf of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Rana also revealed that he had traveled to Kerala, besides Mumbai and Delhi. When questioned about his visit to Kerala, he said he went there to meet a known acquaintance and provided the individual’s name and address to the authorities.
With IANS inputs