The National Investigation Agency on April 10 argued in a Delhi court that they suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana conspired terror plots similar to 26/11 Mumbai attacks targetting multiple Indian cities.
Tahawwur Hussain Rana was successfully extradited from US to India on April 10 to stand trial here on 10 criminal charges stemming from his alleged role in the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai that killed 166 people, including six Americans.
India has alleged that Rana facilitated a fraudulent cover so that his childhood friend Headley, a US citizen born Daood Gilani, could freely travel to Mumbai to conduct surveillance of potential attack sites for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) ahead of the attack.
India also alleged that Headley received training from LeT members in Pakistan and was in direct communication with the terrorist outfit about plans to attack Mumbai.
US Department of Justice issued a statement regarding Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana and revealed that he allegedly told Headley that the Indians “deserved it" after the attack and commended the nine LeT terrorists killed during the attack, suggesting that they should be given "Nishan-e-Haider”, Pakistan라이브 바카라 highest gallantry award.
Tahawwur Rana Trial | Latest Updates
Arguments, Claims Made By NIA Against Tahawwur Rana
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) made the claim of Rana devising terror attacks in other Indian cities to Patiala House Court in Delhi before special judge Chander Jit Singh, who remanded Rana to 18-day NIA custody.
In its order, the judge directed the NIA to conduct medical examination of Rana every 24 hours, and allow him to meet his lawyer every alternate day.
The judge allowed Rana to use only a soft-tip pen and meet his lawyer in the presence of the NIA officials within an audible distance.
During the arguments, the NIA said Rana's custody was required to piece together the full scope of the conspiracy, and submitted he was required to be taken to various locations for retracing the events that took place 17 years ago.
"His (Rana) prolonged custody has been deemed necessary to facilitate an extensive interrogation aimed at uncovering deeper layers of the conspiracy. We suspect that the tactics used in the Mumbai attacks were intended for execution in other cities as well, prompting investigators to examine whether similar plots were developed elsewhere," the NIA is believed to have informed the judge, a source said.
To piece together crucial evidence and retrace events from 17 years ago, officials might transport Rana to key locations, allowing them to reconstruct the crime scene and gain deeper insight into the larger terror network at play, the source added.
The NIA DIGs, one IG and five DCPs of Delhi Police were present in the court premises during his production. Rana will remain in NIA custody for 18 days, during which time the agency plans to "question him in detail in order to unravel the complete conspiracy behind the deadly 2008 attacks" which saw 166 persons being killed and over 238 sustaining wounds.
US Justice Department Reveals Rana Said, 'Indians Deserved It' After 26/11 Attack
Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana allegedly said the Indians “deserved it" and commended the nine LeT terrorists killed during the attack, suggesting that they should be given "Nishan-e-Haider”, Pakistan라이브 바카라 highest gallantry award, according to the US Department of Justice.
After the attack, Rana allegedly told Headley, one of the main conspirators of the assault, that the Indians “deserved it", the statement said.
"In an intercepted conversation with Headley, Rana allegedly commended the nine LeT terrorists who had been killed committing the attacks, saying that “they should be given Nishan-e-Haider”-Pakistan라이브 바카라 highest award for gallantry in battle, which is reserved for fallen soldiers," the statement said.
Rana agreed to open a Mumbai branch of his immigration business and appoint Headley as the manager of the office, despite the latter having no immigration experience, it said.
On two separate occasions, Rana allegedly helped Headley prepare and submit visa applications to Indian authorities that contained information the former knew to be false. Rana also supplied, through his unsuspecting business partner, documentation in support of Headley라이브 바카라 attempt to secure formal approval from Indian authorities to open a branch office of his immigration business.
"Over more than two years, Headley repeatedly met Rana in Chicago and described his surveillance activities on behalf of LeT, LeT라이브 바카라 responses to Headley라이브 바카라 activities, and LeT라이브 바카라 potential plans for attacking Mumbai," the statement said.
Between November 26 and 29, 2008, ten LeT terrorists carried out a series of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks in Mumbai.
LeT terrorists infiltrated the city by sea, dispersing to multiple locations in teams. They attacked a train station, two restaurants, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and a Jewish community centre.
Hundreds of people were injured in the attack and Mumbai sustained more than USD 1.5 billion in property damage.
"The attacks were among the most horrific and catastrophic in India라이브 바카라 history," the statement said.
Proceedings Against Rana For Conspiring Other Acts Of Violence
The US statement also noted that India라이브 바카라 pending proceedings against Rana are not the first proceedings in which he has been accused of conspiring to commit violent acts of terrorism.
In 2013, Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison following his trial conviction in the Northern District of Illinois for conspiring to provide material support to LeT and to a foiled LeT-sponsored terrorist plot in Copenhagen, Denmark.
As part of those same criminal proceedings, Headley pleaded guilty to 12 federal terrorism charges, including aiding and abetting the murders of the six Americans in Mumbai and later planning to attack a Danish newspaper, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison, the statement said.
In June 2020, the United States acted on a request for Rana라이브 바카라 extradition submitted by India, which Rana contested for almost five years. On May 16, 2023, a US magistrate in the Central District of California certified Rana라이브 바카라 extradition to India. Rana then filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, which the US District Court in the Central District of California denied on August 10, 2023.
On August 15, 2024, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed that decision.
The Supreme Court similarly denied Rana라이브 바카라 “petition for certiorari” on January 21, 2025.
The Secretary of State issued a warrant ordering Rana라이브 바카라 surrender to Indian authorities. Both the district court and the Ninth Circuit denied Rana라이브 바카라 application for a stay of extradition, and on April 7, the US Supreme Court denied Rana라이브 바카라 application for a stay of extradition.
On April 9, the US Marshals Service executed the Secretary라이브 바카라 surrender warrant by surrendering Rana to Indian authorities for transportation to India, the statement said.
The statement also named US officials who handled the extradition litigation.
The US Marshals Service and attorneys and international affairs specialists in the Justice Department라이브 바카라 Office of International Affairs provided support to this extradition, it added.
The FBI라이브 바카라 Legal Attaché Office in New Delhi also assisted, the statement said
