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26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack: NIA Files First Supplementary Chargesheet Against Tahawwur Rana In Lashkar-e-Taiba & HUJI Conspiracy Case

Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed its first supplementary chargesheet against Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, before the NIA Special Court at Patiala House, New Delhi. The move comes after Rana's extradition from the United States in April this year and fresh evidence uncovered during interrogation. The court is expected to take cognizance of the chargesheet in the coming days, paving the way for the trial to formally commence. On Wednesday, a Delhi court extended Rana's judicial custody till August 13. The court is also slated to hear his request on July 15, in which he has sought permission to make a phone call to his family. According to the NIA, Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian national of Pakistani origin, was part of a wider criminal conspiracy hatched by David Coleman Headley, members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) to carry out coordinated terrorist attacks across India. The first supplementary chargesheet includes Rana's arrest memo, seizure documents, and new evidence linking him directly to Headley's reconnaissance missions. Rana was first chargesheeted by the NIA in 2011 and also named in a supplementary chargesheet filed by the Mumbai Police in 2023. His extradition to India was ordered by a U.S. court in May 2023, but he pursued multiple appeals including in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court all of which were dismissed. On April 9 this year, the U.S. Marshals Service executed the final surrender warrant, handing him over to Indian authorities. His arrival in India marks a major step forward in the nearly 17-year-old investigation into the attacks that claimed over 170 lives and injured hundreds. Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian national of Pakistani origin, now faces trial in India on ten serious criminal charges, including conspiracy, murder, waging war against India, committing terrorist acts under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and forgery. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment. From November 26 to 29, 2008, ten heavily armed gunmen from LeT attacked Mumbai, targeting prominent locations such as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel, CST railway station, and Nariman House, killing over 170 people and injuring hundreds. Only one attacker, Ajmal Kasab, was captured alive and later executed in 2012.The attacks also led to a massive diplomatic crisis and increased international pressure on Pakistan to dismantle terror networks operating on its soil. According to the NIA chargesheet, Rana is accused of facilitating the activities of David Coleman Headley (also known as Daood Gilani), a Pakistani-American who conducted detailed reconnaissance in Mumbai to identify and photograph high-value targets for Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rana allegedly helped Headley obtain an Indian visa by misrepresenting facts and facilitated the setting up of a front business the Immigrant Law Centre in Mumbai, which served as a cover to conduct surveillance. Investigation findings suggest Rana visited multiple Indian cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, Kochi, and Ahmedabad, ostensibly for business purposes. However, call data and travel records revealed these trips coincided with Headley's surveillance missions. Rana also allegedly served as an intermediary between Headley and a Pakistan-based Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officer known as 'Major Iqbal', relaying messages and instructions when direct contact became risky. During eight documented visits to India, Rana reportedly exchanged 231 phone calls with Headley, including calls discussing potential targets. Interrogation details suggest Rana confessed to being present in Mumbai during the attacks and assisting Headley in scouting locations like CST and luxury hotels. Intercepted communications obtained by the FBI allegedly show Rana praising the attackers and suggesting they deserved Pakistan's highest military honors. He also reportedly acknowledged the involvement of Pakistani officials in the planning of the attacks Rana, who previously served in the Pakistani Army before migrating to Canada, ran an immigration consultancy business in the U.S. He was convicted by a U.S. court in 2013 for his role in a separate plot targeting the Danish newspaper. However, an American jury acquitted him of direct involvement in the Mumbai attacks, leading to a long extradition process after India sought his custody. Despite arguing in U.S. courts that he could face torture or an unfair trial in India and claiming he was unaware of Headley's true intentions, his appeals were ultimately rejected. His extradition was seen as a significant outcome of India-U.S. counterterrorism cooperation. While Rana is now in Indian custody and lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail under high security, other key masterminds including Sajid Mir and 'Major Iqbal' remain at large in Pakistan. Pakistan has officially denied involvement, though international investigations, including those by the FBI, have implicated Pakistan-based operatives. The NIA's investigation continues, with pending Letters Rogatory (judicial requests) seeking cooperation from Pakistani authorities. The agency aims to bring all conspirators, including Headley's Pakistani handlers, to justice. Rana is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail in a high-security isolation ward, separated from other inmates. He is expected to appear for court hearings through video conferencing. If convicted on the current charges, he faces the possibility of life imprisonment.

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