NEW DELHI: Tahawwur Hussain Rana, one of the accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has asked a court for permission to speak to his family.
The plea was made by his lawyer on April 19, and on Monday, Special Judge Hardeep Kaur directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to respond by April 23.
Rana, a 64-year-old businessman originally from Pakistan and a Canadian citizen, was extradited from the US and taken into 18-day NIA custody on April 10.
According to the NIA, Rana was closely involved with David Coleman Headley—also known as Daood Gilani—the key conspirator of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Headley allegedly shared details of the terror plot with Rana before coming to India and had also emailed him information about his personal belongings in case of any issues.
The NIA claims Headley informed Rana about the involvement of two Pakistani nationals, Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman, who were also part of the conspiracy.
Rana was brought to India after the US Supreme Court rejected his plea against extradition on April 4.
The 26/11 attacks began on November 26, 2008, when ten Pakistani terrorists entered Mumbai by sea and launched coordinated attacks on a railway station, two luxury hotels, and a Jewish center. The siege lasted nearly 60 hours and killed 166 people.
As the investigation progresses, the court has imposed strict conditions on Rana’s custody. Special Judge Chander Jit Singh of the Patiala House Courts directed that the NIA conduct a full medical check-up of Rana every 48 hours and ensure timely delivery of his prescribed medicines. He is also allowed pen and paper, but only a soft-tip pen, to prevent misuse.
Rana is permitted to meet a lawyer from the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) every alternate day.
