Delhi Court extends Tahawwur Rana's NIA remand by 12 days

New Delhi

A Delhi court has extended the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) custody of Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, for another 12 days. The NIA informed the court that Rana had been confronted with substantial evidence related to the attacks, but his evasive responses necessitated further interrogation to gather vital information. The agency stressed that continued custody was essential to fully probe his role in the attacks.

Rana's defense lawyer, Advocate Piyush Sachdev, opposed the extension, arguing that further custodial questioning was unnecessary. However, the NIA, represented by Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan and Special Public Prosecutor Narender Mann, emphasized the need for more time to gather critical details.

After hearing both sides, NIA Special Judge Charan Jit Singh granted the extension. Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian businessman of Pakistani descent, was extradited from the United States earlier this month. He is being questioned about his suspected connections to the perpetrators of the 2008 attacks, which killed over 170 people and left hundreds more injured. Rana’s extradition is part of India’s ongoing efforts to bring all those involved in the deadly attack to justice.

The 26/11 attacks were carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terrorist group, and have remained a focal point of international efforts to combat terrorism.