NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday permitted Tahawwur Hussain Rana, an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, to make a one-time phone call to his daughter in Canada to inform her about his well-being. Rana is currently lodged in Tihar Jail following his extradition from the United States on April 10.
Judge Chander Jit Singh allowed the call after Tihar jail authorities and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raised no objection to the request. However, the judge directed that the call must strictly adhere to jail rules and security protocols, as laid down in the Delhi Prison Rules.
Monthly Call Request Under Consideration
The court also instructed the Tihar administration to submit a detailed report on whether Rana could be allowed to speak to his family regularly, once a month, and to outline any conditions or limitations required.
Rana’s legal team, including Lakshay Dheer and Piyush Sachdev, submitted that the call was essential for Rana to update his family on his physical and mental condition, especially as he allegedly lacks access to a hearing aid and is facing health concerns in custody. The court has directed jail authorities to submit a health report on Rana within 10 days.
Background of the Case
Rana, a Canadian citizen and former Pakistan army captain, is accused of conspiring with David Coleman Headley—a key figure in the 26/11 attacks—to conduct reconnaissance of potential targets in Mumbai. He is also accused by the NIA of collaborating with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) operatives, both designated terrorist groups under Indian law.
Following his extradition, Rana was interrogated for 30 days by the NIA before being sent to judicial custody in Tihar. His remand was last extended to July 9 during a virtual court appearance.
Stringent Rules for High-Risk Inmates
According to Rule 631 of the Delhi Prison Rules, inmates charged under laws related to terrorism or crimes against the state—such as UAPA, NSA, or MCOCA—are usually not allowed phone calls due to risks of misuse. However, exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis, based on the prisoner’s circumstances and subject to high-level approval.
Ordinarily, undertrial and convicted prisoners are allowed one call per week, provided the phone number is pre-approved by jail authorities. Rana’s call to his daughter was granted as a one-time exception under these rules.
Previous Rejection
Notably, Rana’s earlier request to contact his family in April was denied by the court while he was still in NIA custody. At that time, the court cited concerns of information leakage and potential use of coded language to aid co-conspirators.
Meanwhile, the NIA has also received permission to collect Rana’s handwriting and voice samples for forensic matching with materials recovered during the investigation.