New Delhi [India], May 9 : Tahawwur Rana, a key conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was presented before the Patiala House Court from NIA remand on Friday, a day earlier than the scheduled date due to security concerns. The NIA Special Court has ordered his judicial custody until June 6, 2025.
Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin, was extradited from the United States earlier this month in connection with his purported role in the deadly 2008 terror strike on Mumbai. Last week, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) collected voice and handwriting samples from Rana.
Rana provided handwriting specimens by penning various alphabets and numerical characters. Advocate Piyush Sachdev, his legal aid counsel, confirmed that Rana fully complied with the court's directive to submit these samples.
The Special NIA Court has recently allowed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to obtain voice and handwriting samples of Rana.
Earlier on April 29, the Court extended the NIA's custody of Tahawwur Rana for 12 days more days.
During the hearing, the NIA informed the court that Rana had been confronted with a substantial volume of records and evidence related to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The agency argued that further custody was necessary to complete his interrogation. While seeking an extension of his remand, the NIA argued that Rana had been evasive during questioning and was not cooperating with the investigation.
The agency emphasised the need for further custodial interrogation to extract crucial information related to his alleged involvement in the attacks. In the legal proceedings concerning Tahawwur Rana, the NIA was represented by Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan and Special Public Prosecutor Narender Mann. On the other hand, Advocate Piyush Sachdeva, from Legal Services, defended Rana in the matter.
However, Rana's counsel opposed the extension of his remand, contending that additional custodial interrogation was unwarranted. Following his extradition, he was placed under the NIA's custody in New Delhi, where investigators continue to probe his suspected links to the perpetrators of the attacks.
The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, orchestrated by the Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed the lives of over 170 people and left hundreds injured. Rana's extradition and subsequent interrogation are part of India's ongoing efforts to bring all conspirators of the attacks to justice.