NEW DELHI: When Tahawwur Rana, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused, who was extradited to India on Thursday, was taken from his cell at the NIA headquarters to the interrogation room in the same building on Friday, he was mentally stable indicating that he has come to terms with his extradition, sources said.
Even as he was confronted with initial questions relating to his handlers in Pakistan, his funding and business partners and the sleeper cells in India with whom he was connected, nothing substantial emerged on Friday, but the interrogation team is hopeful that they would uncover details as the process continues.
In Friday's initial questioning, Rana was also asked to give details about the visit of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Sajid Mir to India under the pretext of watching a cricket match.
Investigators will also seek the finer details of those who helped one of the prime accused in the case David Coleman Headley in India and received money for it, the sources said.
As part of the first round of questioning relating to establishing his intent, the NIA sleuths tried to get his personal details including his upbringing, education, family and career and his transition from a trained medical doctor to an alleged conspirator in international terrorism, they said.
The sources said he was also asked if his family know about his alleged links to Headley, about how they planned and executed the terror plot and his whereabouts on November 26, 2008, when the attacks began.
During subsequent rounds of questioning, Rana will be asked about his alleged links to the LeT, how and when he met LeT chief Hafiz Saeed and what was the nature of their relationship. He will also be asked if he can identify other members of LeT by name, face or role, they added.
The final round of questioning will revolve around the involvement of ISI officers, the sources said, adding that the NIA interrogation team would probe him to know who made the final decision to execute the attacks and whether the instructions were given directly by ISI officers or routed through LeT intermediaries.
