26/11 Terror Attack: Court Allows Tahawwur Rana Three Monitored Calls to Brother on Engaging Private Counsel
Delhi's Patiala House Court permitted Tahawwur Rana three monitored calls to brother on engaging counsel; extends custody till September 8 in 26/11 Mumbai terror attack conspiracy case;
A Delhi Court on Wednesday permitted 26/11 Mumbai attack accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana to make three monitored phone calls this month to his brother for discussions on engaging a private counsel.
Special Judge Chander Jit Singh of Patiala House Court, during in-chamber proceedings, directed that the calls be conducted in English or Hindi, recorded, and made in the presence of prison authorities.
Rana, who appeared virtually before the Court, also had his judicial custody extended till September 8. He was produced before the Court through video conferencing.
Notably, on August 7, the Delhi's Patiala House Court had allowed Rana's application seeking permission to call his family. Previously, Rana had informed the Court that he wishes to engage a private counsel to represent him in the ongoing proceedings. Till now, he has been represented by legal aid counsel Advocate Piyush Sachdeva. The Special NIA Court had taken note of Rana’s request and had reserved its order on the issue on August 5, after receiving responses from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Tihar Jail authorities.
The Court had earlier, on June 9, allowed him a single supervised call under jail rules.
Meanwhile, on July 15, Rana had moved a separate application for provision of a bed and mattress, citing his medical condition and age, 64 years and 6 months. Jail authorities had opposed the request, citing the rule that only inmates aged 65 and above are eligible for a bed. Rana's judicial custody has been extended till August 13. The agency had earlier collected voice and handwriting samples from Rana and argued for extended custody, citing non-cooperation and evasive responses during interrogation.
Allegations against Rana
Rana is a key conspirator in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and is accused of facilitating the operations of David Coleman Headley, who conducted reconnaissance in Mumbai ahead of the 2008 attacks. According to NIA, Rana had conspired with David Coleman Headley (also known as Daood Gilani), operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI), and other Pakistan-based actors to orchestrate the devastating 2008 attacks.
From November 26 to 29, 2008, ten terrorists from the Pakistan-based LeT carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai. They infiltrated the city by sea, broke into teams, and launched strikes at high-profile locations, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Leopold Café, and a Jewish center.
Attackers indiscriminately opened fire and hurled grenades at civilians, resulting in the deaths of 166 people, including six Americans, and injuring over 238. Property damage was estimated to exceed $1.5 billion.
Rana now faces trial in India on 10 serious criminal charges, including conspiracy, murder, commission of a terrorist act, and forgery. His extradition was ordered by a U.S. court in May 2023, but Rana pursued multiple appeals, including petitions in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court, all of which were rejected. On April 9, the U.S. Marshals Service executed the final surrender warrant, handing him over to Indian authorities.
After Rana’s arrival in New Delhi following his extradition from the United States on the evening of April 10. He was, on April 11, produced before Special NIA Judge Chander Jit Singh, Patiala House Court. NIA had then sought 20 days of police custody for Rana. However, the Special Judge granted 18 days of custodial interrogation.
To read all the latest court developments click here
Case Title: NIA v. David Coleman Headley
Hearing Date: August 13, 2025
Bench: Special Judge Chander Jit Singh