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Court is set to hear Rana's plea to communicate with his family on April 23
Tahawwur Rana, the Pakistani-origin Canadian national accused of being the key conspirator in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has moved a Delhi Court seeking permission to communicate with his family members.
Rana, who was extradited from the United States and is currently in judicial custody in India, filed the application before the Patiala House Court, requesting access to his family amid ongoing proceedings related to the 26/11 attacks.
The application was filed before District and Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur.
Taking note of the plea, the Court on Monday issued notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), directing the agency to file its response.
The matter is now scheduled for hearing on April 23.
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 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 sought 20 days of police custody for Rana. However, the Special Judge granted 18 days of custodial interrogation.
Rana is being represented by Advocates Piyush Sachdeva and Lakshya Dheer from the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA).
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