NEW DELHI: A NIA special court in Delhi has imposed stringent conditions on the custody of 26/11 Mumbai terror accused Tahawwur Rana, as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) pressed forward with its explosive claim: Rana may have conspired to orchestrate terror attacks in other Indian cities beyond Mumbai.
Special Judge Chander Jit Singh of the Patiala House Courts has directed the NIA to conduct a full medical examination of Rana every 48 hours, ensuring that his health remains under continuous surveillance during his 18-day custodial remand. The court also ordered that he be provided with prescribed medication without delay and be allowed pen and paper, but only a soft-tip pen, in a move aimed at preventing potential misuse.
In a tightly worded directive, the judge permitted Rana to meet a counsel from the Delhi Legal Services Authority every alternate day.
However, the court laid down a sharp embargo, saying that the appointed legal counsel is strictly barred from engaging with the media in any form. All meetings are to occur in the presence of NIA officers to allow legal access without compromising investigative sanctity.
During the hearing on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, the courtroom also witnessed intense exchanges as the NIA laid bare its suspicions that Rana, beside 26/11 Mumbai attacks, was involved in hatching newer terror plots within India.
Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for the agency, told the court that Rana’s interrogation was critical to retracing movements and establishing linkages in what the agency believes may be a sprawling conspiracy. Citing a trove of digital evidence including classified emails and encrypted exchanges, the NIA argued that Rana had “collaborated” in a blueprint designed to replicate the 2008 assault on Indian soil. “His custodial interrogation is is imperative,” Krishnan said.
Court directions
NIA to conduct a full medical examination of Rana every 48 hours, ensuring that his health remains under continuous surveillance during remand
Rana to be provided with prescribed medication without delay; allowed pen and paper, but only soft-tip, to prevent misuse
Rana permitted to meet legal counsel from the Delhi Legal Services Authority every alternate day in the presence of NIA officers