Tahawwur Rana, 26/11 co-conspirator, lands in Delhi amid high security

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, one of the key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, landed in Delhi on Thursday under the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). According to media reports, he will be taken to Delhi's Tihar Jailunder high security cover.

Security has also been increased outside Delhi’s Patiala House Court, where Rana will probably be produced soon. “Personnel from paramilitary forces and the Delhi Police have been deployed outside the court, and a thorough physical frisking and checking of visitors is being carried out to avoid any untoward incident,” news agency PTI quoted an official as saying.

A report by The Economic Times said that Indian authorities will perform a detailed and long interrogation with him. Top officials — including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar — held a meeting on Wednesday evening to finalise a security and questioning plan for Rana’s arrival.

Due to the sensitive nature of the case, Rana’s remand may take place behind closed doors.

The Times of India quoted a senior officer as saying, “He has already been probed extensively, and cracking him will not be an easy task. He would know where to mislead us and create smokescreens. This will be time-consuming.”

A special team will question Rana. This team includes officers from the NIA, two intelligence agencies, and forensic psychologists trained in terrorism and criminal behaviour. Their main goal is to uncover the masterminds and support networks behind the 26/11 attacks, the report added.

What Indian investigators want to know

With Rana’s arrival in India, agencies hope to gather more evidence on the links between Lashkar-e-Taiba, Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, and others involved in the 2008 attacks.

Investigators are especially hoping he can give more information about the roles played by top terrorists like Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, and Illyas Kashmiri — all of whom are still free and believed to be protected by the Pakistani establishment.

Who is Tahawwur Rana?

Rana, 64, is a Pakistan-born Canadian citizen. He is known to be a close associate of David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani — another main conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and a US citizen. Rana’s last attempt to stop his extradition failed when the US Supreme Court rejected his appeal.

Special public prosecutor appointed

The central government has appointed advocate Narender Mann as the special public prosecutor for Rana’s case. He will handle all matters related to the NIA case for the next three years or until the trial ends.