Tahawwur Rana’s grilling begins: The likely questions NIA will pose to 26/11 attacks mastermind

Almost 17 years after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Indian officials will finally be able to question the co-conspirator of the crime when they begin the interrogation of Tahawwur Hussain Rana — the Pakistani-origin Canadian national — who was extradited from the United States on Thursday (April 10).

The 64-year-old landed in Delhi on Thursday after the US handed him over to Indian officials at a secure location on April 9. Now-released visuals show Rana, clad in a beige prison-issued uniform and flanked by US Marshals, being given into the custody of Indian authorities.

On his arrival in the country’s capital, the anti-terror body National Investigation Agency took him to a court where he was formally remanded to 18-day NIA custody. And starting today (April 11), he will be interrogated by NIA’s ‘Special 12’ — a high-level team comprising two Inspector Generals (IGs), one Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and one Superintendent of Police (SP) besides the NIA chief, Sadanand Date, himself.

Tahawwur Rana in NIA custody

After exhausting each and every legal avenue possible, the US extradited Tahawwur Rana to India on Thursday so that he could be questioned for his role and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. After being handed over to India, Rana landed in Delhi on a special plane from Los Angeles.

A News18 report states that a dummy code was generated for the special aircraft to avoid detection on flight trackers. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) monitored the flight movement on a real-time basis.

Following Rana’s arrival on Indian soil, amid high security, he was produced before the NIA Special Court at Patiala House wherein he was sent to NIA custody for 18 days. Sources told news agency PTI that the NIA had sought his custody for 20 days.

Now, he has been placed in an interrogation cell at the NIA headquarters at CGO complex, reported PTI officials. The 14x14 cell is equipped with CCTV cameras with multiple layers of digital as well as physical security.

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Moreover, only 12 NIA officials, dubbed the ‘Special 12’ will have access to Rana, reported sources. If anyone else wants to visit, they would require prior permission.

Rana’s questioning begins

Starting today (April 11), NIA interrogations will begin, with India Today reporting that DIG Jaya Roy will lead the questioning. As per protocol, a diary will be maintained detailing every exchange and answer posed to Rana. A daily report of the proceedings will be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Moreover, as mandated by the court, Rana will undergo comprehensive medical tests every 48 hours to determine his physical well-being. Earlier in the US, Rana had listed that he suffered from several medical conditions, including chronic asthma, Parkinson’s disease, heart ailments, suspected bladder cancer, and cognitive decline.

According to reports, the NIA’s questioning of Rana will focus on three aspects — his identity, his involvement in the 26/11 attacks and also his alleged links to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI.

Focus on Rana’s identity and profile

As part of their questioning, the NIA will first concentrate on Rana’s personal and family background. In this, the authorities are likely to probe him on his Pakistani days and his time in the Pakistan army. Before moving to Canada in 1997, Rana is believed to have served in the Pakistan army’s medical corps.

They are likely to ask Rana why he brought his wife to India in 2008 — the 64-year-old had visited different parts of the country, including Hapur, Delhi, Agra, Kochi, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai with his wife Samraz Rana Akhtar between November 13 and November 21, 2008.

Also, they will question Rana as to whether his family was aware of his links to fellow 26/11 co-conspirator David Coleman Headley.

Rana’s involvement in the 26/11 attacks

Following his personal background, NIA officials will then shift to his role in the planning of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which eventually claimed the lives of 166 people. Rana will be shown crucial evidence linked to the terror attacks, including recorded voice samples, photos, videos, and emails, which were gathered during the investigation.

Moreover, he will be pressed on the 231 calls that he made to friend and main conspirator, David Coleman Headley during Headley’s eight visits to India before the deadly 2008 attacks, a dossier by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has revealed.

The officials will also try to ascertain just how Rana helped Headley get an Indian visa and provided him with lodging while he scouted locations for the attacks.

An NDTV news report stated that NIA will question Rana pointedly on his location on the day of the 26/11 attacks. They will also question whether he liaised with any other Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) official during the planning days of the attack.

Reports also state that officials will question Rana about his remarks on 26/11. In his intercepted call with David Headley, he had said that the Lashkar terrorists who attacked Mumbai should be rewarded by Pakistan. Rana wanted them to be honoured with Pakistan’s highest gallantry award, according to a US Department of Justice document.

Rana will also be pressed for details about his relations and interactions with the Sajid Mir, the Pakistan-based terrorist, who was reportedly in India at the time of the terror attacks.

The ISI connection

Apart from Rana’s alleged links to Headley and the LeT, officials may ask him about connections to the ISI, Pakistan’s spy agency. NIA officials want to know the exact role of the agency in the 26/11 attacks, including if they provided funding for the reconnaissance and other activities.

They also want to ascertain from Rana if the ISI was operating with the knowledge of the Pakistani government.

As a former NIA official told NDTV that Rana’s interrogation could help in filling the blanks. “I’m sure he [Rana] knows certain things which we do not know. And probably that will be actually more revealing. And I will not be surprised to see that more names come out. For example, we know the handlers of David Coleman Headley, but who are the handlers of Rana? Maybe they are the same or they are different,” said NIA’s former inspector general Loknath Behera to NDTV.

With inputs from agencies