‘Trusted agent of Pakistan Army’: 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana claims in NIA custody

Rana extradited by the United States to India on April 10 after the US Supreme Court rejected his review plea on April 4

Tahawwur Rana, the accused of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack extradited to India from the US, has told the police that he was a ‘trusted agent of the Pakistan Army’ and recced the areas to be targeted in Mumbai.

Rana made these claims to the Mumbai Crime Branch, saying that he was a trusted agent of the Pakistan Army and was in Mumbai during the 2008 attacks, as per a report by News18.

He was extradited by the United States to India on April 10 after the US Supreme Court rejected his review plea against the extradition on April 4. The 64-year-old accused is facing trial in the case 17 years after the attacks that killed more than 166 people in 2008 on the streets of Mumbai and in the Hotel Taj.

Rana said he had conducted reconnaissance of several areas in Mumbai ahead of the 2008 attacks. He also said he was present in the area when Lashkar-linked terrorists attacked the Taj Hotel.

Rana said he was sent to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War revealing that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was originally formed as an espionage network. He also claimed that his associate, David Headley, had conducted several terrorist training sessions with the banned LeT group.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the case, had charged him for the terror attack conspiracy with his friend David Headley, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) mastermind who carried out the planning and reconnaissance operations for the Mumbai attacks at the behest of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed.

The central agency says that Rana was involved in the planning of the Mumbai attacks, assisting Headley in procuring a visa and creating a false identity so he could travel to India.

Rana has been charged with criminal conspiracy, waging war against the government of India, murder, forgery and under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.