Tahawwur Hussain Rana, one of the key conspirators behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has been extradited to India from the United States and is currently being held in a high-security cell at the National Investigation Agency (NIA) headquarters in the CGO Complex, Delhi.
Rana, a Pakistani-born Canadian national, was taken into NIA custody following his extradition earlier this week. A special NIA court in Delhi has granted the agency 18 days of custodial interrogation to probe further into the conspiracy behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which claimed 166 lives and left over 300 injured.
According to sources cited by news agency PTI, the NIA has questioned Rana for the second consecutive day. During the interrogation sessions, Rana has reportedly requested a copy of the Quran, as well as pen and paper.
He is currently confined in a highly secured cell, with round-the-clock surveillance and personnel deployed to ensure maximum security, given the sensitivity and gravity of the case.
Rana’s arrival in India has reignited public anger and calls for justice. Many are demanding that he be given the same punishment as Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 attacks, who was convicted and hanged in 2012.
Rana is accused of facilitating communication and logistical support for the Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives who carried out the coordinated attacks in Mumbai in November 2008. His trial and interrogation are expected to reveal critical details about the planning, funding, and international links of the terror network behind one of India's deadliest attacks.
Tahawwur Rana was arrested in the US in 2009 and served a sentence for providing material support to terror activities. However, he had fought extradition to India until a US court ruled in favor of India's request earlier this year.
The NIA hopes to use Rana’s interrogation to uncover undisclosed aspects of the 26/11 plot, including the roles played by other conspirators and possible foreign handlers.