Indian investigators have commenced their first interrogation of Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, focusing on his connections with co-conspirators based in Pakistan.
The questioning began soon after a Delhi special court granted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody of Rana for 18 days.
Rana, who was extradited from the United States, arrived at the NIA headquarters in Delhi’s Lodhi Road early Friday morning following the court’s late-night order. Officials allowed him to rest before beginning the formal interrogation process.
According to senior officials and investigation details reviewed by Hindustan Times, the spotlight of this interrogation is a “protected witness” — an individual who is believed to have received David Coleman Headley in Mumbai back in 2006 and arranged his logistics and accommodation. This witness reportedly has close ties with both Rana and Headley, childhood friends and alleged collaborators in planning the attacks.
The identity of the witness has been kept secret in official records and court documents due to concerns over retaliation from Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and state actors suspected to have played a role in the attacks that left 166 people dead across Mumbai.
This marks the first time Indian authorities have had direct access to question Rana, although NIA officials had earlier interrogated Headley in the US back in 2010. The ongoing investigation is seen as a crucial step in deepening India’s understanding of the transnational conspiracy behind the 26/11 attacks.
