Tahawwur Rana had plans to target other Indian cities akin to 26/11 Mumbai attacks: NIA to court

The National Investigation Agency has said that accused Tahawwur Rana planned several other plots similar to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to target multiple Indian cities.

“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.

Rana was brought to the court in a cavalcade including a jail van, an armoured SWAT vehicle and an ambulance.

Before Rana was brought to Patiala House Court complex, Delhi Police removed mediapersons and members of the public from its premises, citing security concerns.

Police authorities said, “No one would be permitted inside."

A Delhi court recently received the trial records of the Mumbai attacks ahead of Rana’s extradition from the US, a source said.

The NIA said that as part of the criminal conspiracy, accused number 1, David Coleman Headley, had discussed the entire operation with Rana before his visit to India.

Anticipating potential challenges, Headley sent an email to Rana detailing his belongings and assets, the NIA told the court, and Headley also informed Rana about the involvement of Pakistani nationals Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman, who are also accused in the case, in the plot.

The NIA made the submissions late on Thursday 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.

Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan and Special Public Prosecutor Narender Mann represented the NIA.

India