New Delhi [India], May 28: The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Wednesday issued notice on a plea filed by Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks (26/11) case, seeking permission to communicate with his family under jail regulations.
Special NIA Judge Chanderjit Singh directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to respond to Rana’s application and also sought a report from Tihar Jail authorities. Rana, currently in judicial custody till June 6, is scheduled to appear for the next hearing on June 4.
Earlier, the court had denied his request to make phone contact with his family during his NIA custody. His counsel, Advocate Piyush Sachdeva, argued that as a foreign national, Rana has a fundamental right to communicate with his family, especially given their concern for his wellbeing while in custody.
The NIA opposed the plea, citing the sensitive nature of the ongoing investigation and potential risk of disclosure of classified information.
Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin, was recently extradited from the United States for his alleged involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and which claimed over 170 lives.
Following his extradition, Rana was placed in NIA custody in New Delhi, where investigators are probing his alleged connections to the main conspirators of the attack. As part of the investigation, Rana recently submitted voice and handwriting samples in compliance with a court order. His handwriting samples reportedly included various alphabets and numerical characters.
India’s efforts to bring all conspirators of the 26/11 attacks to justice continue with Rana’s interrogation forming a crucial part of the wider probe.