The mastermind behind the Mumbai attack, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, is currently under judicial custody until June 6th. On Tuesday, Rana filed a fresh appeal in Patiala House Court seeking permission to converse with his family by phone. Following jail regulations, Rana requested the facilities offered by the prison administration to communicate with his family.
The Appeal Hearing is Set for Tomorrow
The NIA court at Patiala House will hear Tahawwur Rana's appeal on Wednesday. During his NIA custody period, Rana had previously requested to speak with his family. However, after the hearing, the NIA court dismissed this appeal. The court had indicated that once Rana enters judicial custody, relief could be provided according to prison regulations. Hence, upon entering judicial custody, he has filed a new application.
Tahawwur Rana was placed in NIA custody following his extradition from the USA and was later presented in Delhi's Patiala House Court, where a judicial custodial decision was made until June 6th. Rana is a close associate of David Coleman Headley, alias Daud Gilani, the prime planner of the Mumbai attacks, who was brought in after his review petition against extradition to India was dismissed by the US Supreme Court on April 4th.
Rana's Connection with Headley
The interrogation of David Headley revealed Rana's role in the Mumbai attacks. On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists were involved in the attacks across Mumbai, arriving via the Arabian Sea. Their targets included several significant sites: a railway station, two luxury hotels, and a Jewish center. The siege lasted for about 60 hours, resulting in the loss of 166 lives.
Tahawwur Rana stands accused of conspiring with Headley (alias Daud Gilani), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI), and Pakistan. Post-extradition, the Indian central government assembled a special legal team headed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to prosecute him. This appointment, as per the Home Ministry’s notification, falls under the NIA Act 2008 and the Indian National Security Code (BNSS), 2023.
A legal team, led by Tushar Mehta, includes Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, Special Public Prosecutor Dayan Krishnan, and Special Public Prosecutor Narendra Mann, will fight the case against Rana for up to three years or until the trial's conclusion in special courts, Delhi High Court, and Supreme Court on behalf of the NIA.
