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A Special NIA court in Delhi on Saturday oversaw the collection of voice and handwriting samples from Pakistani-Canadian national Tahawwur Rana, in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Officials plan to match these fresh samples with recordings of telephonic conversations between Rana and co-accused David Coleman Headley, an NIA officer confirmed.
Investigators also intend to compare his handwriting with entries he allegedly made in a diary provided during his custody.
According to sources, the diary may contain handwritten notes with instructions, maps, and coordinates that Rana is suspected to have passed on to Headley information allegedly used in target reconnaissance for the 26/11 attacks.
NIA Plans To Take Rana To Mumbai For Crime Scene Reconstruction
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is preparing to take Rana to Mumbai and other cities as part of an exercise to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the 2008 attacks, which killed 166 people.
On 28 April, the Special NIA Court extended Rana’s custody by 12 days, after Special Judge Charan Jit Singh accepted a plea from Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, arguing that the NIA required more time to interrogate Rana and uncover the extent of his involvement.
Court Acknowledges Rana’s Alleged Evasive Behaviour
During the proceedings, NIA officials informed the court that Rana had allegedly adopted evasive tactics during interrogation.
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They also reiterated their intention to take him to other Indian cities he reportedly visited before the attacks, to assist in reconstructing his movements.
Earlier, the court had ordered the NIA to conduct medical examinations of Rana every 24 hours and to permit him to speak with his lawyers every alternate day.
Rana Denies Role; Blames Headley For Attack Planning
During his 18-day remand, officers from the Mumbai Police also questioned Rana.
He consistently denied any involvement in the planning or execution of the 26/11 attacks, instead placing full responsibility on his childhood friend and co-accused David Headley.
Rana claimed Headley acted alone in conducting reconnaissance and handling planning operations for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Headley, who turned approver in the case, had earlier confessed to surveying multiple locations across India, including Mumbai.
Rana’s Movements Under Scrutiny
While under questioning, Rana confirmed that he had travelled to Mumbai, Delhi, and Kerala.
When asked about his Kerala visit, he stated that he went there to meet a known acquaintance and provided the individual’s name and address to authorities.
A former officer in the Pakistan Army’s Medical Corps, Rana was recently extradited from the United States to stand trial in India for his alleged role in facilitating the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
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