Special Judge Chanderjeet Singh of the NIA court at Delhi’s Patiala House has once again permitted Tahawwur Rana, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, to speak with his family.
The order was passed despite strong opposition from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which cited security risks associated with such communication.
Rana, currently in judicial custody until August 13, filed an application requesting the court’s permission to consult his family.
He stated that he wished to replace his current counsel and needed his family’s advice on the matter. Advocate Piyush Sachdeva from the Delhi Legal Services Authority is presently representing his case.
During the hearing, the NIA opposed the request, referring to its chargesheet, which describes Rana’s significant role in planning and facilitating the 26/11 attacks.
Authorities accuse the Canadian national of working closely with David Coleman Headley and attending multiple Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) training camps in Pakistan.
The agency claims Rana acted as an agent for the Pakistan Army and participated in reconnaissance missions, including scouting the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, one of the key sites attacked in 2008.
Confessions in Custody
In recent interrogations by the NIA and the Mumbai Crime Branch, Rana allegedly admitted to being present in Mumbai during the attacks and confirmed his LeT links.
He also disclosed that Mumbai was not the only target; along with Headley, he had planned similar attacks in Delhi, Jaipur, and Ajmer.
According to investigators, Rana revealed that LeT operated like an intelligence network, with strategic planning and target selection mirroring state-level operations.
For 17 years, the Indian government has sought Rana’s extradition along with David Coleman Headley, arrested in the United States in 2008. Rana’s Canadian citizenship and legal proceedings in multiple jurisdictions have complicated the case.
The NIA maintains that Rana’s communication with the outside world could pose a threat, given his alleged operational links and network.
The court has imposed specific conditions to monitor the conversation for security purposes.
This latest development underscores the high-profile and sensitive nature of the case, which continues to attract international attention due to its links with cross-border terrorism, Pakistan-based militant groups, and one of the deadliest terror attacks in India’s history.
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