New Delhi: Tahawwur Hussain Rana, recently extradited from the United States, has reportedly confessed to his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed over 170 people. Sources in the Mumbai Police crime branch say Rana described himself as one of the most trusted agents of the Pakistani Army and shared details about the planning behind the 26/11 attacks.
Rana revealed that he came to Mumbai in November 2008 and stayed in a Powai hotel on the 20th and 21st, just before the strikes. He claimed he had helped David Coleman Headley, the main planner, in identifying key targets such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
Military background, desertion, and old ties with Headley
Rana reportedly completed his MBBS in 1986 from the Army Medical College in Rawalpindi and served as a doctor in the Pakistan Army. He was posted in regions including Sindh, Balochistan, and Siachen. He subsequently developed a lung condition during his service and was declared a ‘deserter’ after failing to report back for duty. Rana said Headley had promised to help clear his military record, which made him agree to assist with the terror plan.
He also revealed a longstanding connection with Headley, going back to their school years at Cadet College Hasan Abdal. Rana confirmed that Headley had trained at Lashkar-e-Taiba camps and said the group operated more as an intelligence agency than a militant outfit.
According to Rana, he set up a fake immigration law firm in India as a front for the surveillance work. He claimed the Indian Embassy was responsible for the forged documents, but investigations say he helped Headley enter India using fake papers.
Rana admitted knowing key Pakistani handlers and said he had close links with Lashkar and the ISI.
