New Delhi [India], July 16 : Special NIA court at New Delhi on Thursday asked the jail authorities to consider the request of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case alleged mastermind Tahawur Rana's request for providing a cooler in view of the hot weather in the country.
The court passed the direction after Rana approached the court through a letter. Complaining about the poor hygiene condition in his cell where he is lodged, saying that it is affecting his health.
He also requested the court to issue a direction to jail authorities to provide him with a cooler.
After considering the request, Special Judge Prashant Sharma of Patiala House Court asked the jail authorities to decide the requests as per the jail manual.
Tahawur Rana was extradited to India on April 10, 2025, from the USA in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai Terror attack Conspiracy. Presently, he is lodged in Tihar Jail.
Earlier, Tahawur Rana gave the names of some lawyers of his choice for engagement as his counsel. The names were given to the Special NIA Court at Patiala House.
The court has asked the National Investigation Agency to contact those lawyers and to know who is willing and gives consent to represent him.
Earlier, the court had granted him a call facility to have a discussion with his family for the engagement of a lawyer of his choice.
Rana was provided a Legal Aid Counsel (LAC) advocate, Piyush Sachdeva, to represent him. Rana had expressed his wish to engage an advocate of his choice. Sachdeva was discharged thereafter.
Tahawwur Rana is a Pakistani-Canadian businessman and former military doctor with links to the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfit. He has been involved in several high-profile terror plots, most notably the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and a foiled 2009 attempt to target the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.