New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently told a city court that Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case in which 166 people were killed in the nearly 60-hour assault, could spill the beans on terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba and its future terror plans.
The NIA told this to special NIA judge Chander Jit Singh while seeking Rana’s custody on April 28.
Court on April 28 extended Rana’s NIA custody
The court had on April 28 extended Rana’s NIA custody by 12 more days after the central agency sought his further custody.
The NIA told the court that Hafiz Saeed is an accused in the case and his terror organisation Lashkar-e-Toiba is still involved in terror attacks in India and Rana’s custody is required to unearth the operational details of the organisation.
Rana’s custody is required to unearth the operational details of Lashkar-e-Toiba, NIA told court
“Hafiz Saeed is an accused in the case and his terror organisation is still involved in terror attacks in India. Rana’s custody is required to unearth the operational details of the organisation,” the NIA told the court, news agency PTI reported.
The agency further told the court that it was interrogating accused Rana in a “measured” manner, taking into consideration his health and opposed Rana’s claims of being questioned 20 hours a day.
NIA also claimed Rana was not cooperating with the investigation
The NIA, while seeking Rana’s custody, also claimed that he was not cooperating with the investigation.
“There is contention of non-cooperation of accused in investigation, coupled with the fact of the extent, gamut, depth and widespread nature of the present case which has allegation of hatching the conspiracy at a global level in the sense of accused been from one country and then settled in another country where they hatched conspiracy against India, the request of NIA seeking further police custody remand of accused does have merit,” the NIA said.
Rana was extradited to India last month
Rana is a close associate of David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani, a US citizen the main conspirator of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and he was brought to India after his review plea against his extradition to India was dismissed by the US Supreme Court on April 4.
A group of 10 Pakistani terrorists, after sneaking into Mumbai using the sea route, carried out a coordinated attack at several locations in the city on November 26, 2008 and 166 people lost their lives during nearly 60-hour assault.
