26/11 case: Rana questioned over alleged Dubai meeting with man aware of attack plan

In connection with the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the anti-terror agency is questioning Tahawwur Rana regarding potential links to the incident, particularly a meeting he allegedly had in Dubai with an unidentified individual who was reportedly aware of the attack plans, sources said.

The agency is also expected to question Rana about the terror plot’s links to Pakistan. David Coleman Headley, another key accused in the case, allegedly received training from members of the banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan and was in direct communication with the outfit regarding the plan to attack Mumbai, sources added.

Advertisement

It is believed that Headley arranged a meeting between Rana and the unidentified person in Dubai. Rana is currently in the high-security custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) following his extradition from the United States of America.

Officials believe his interrogation could provide crucial information about the networks involved in one of the worst terrorist attacks in Indian history.

Headley had reportedly informed Rana about LeT’s plan to send him to India under the guise of working for Rana’s company, in order to conduct reconnaissance.

Headley, who had earlier pleaded guilty to 12 federal terrorism charges in the United States — including aiding and abetting the murder of six Americans in Mumbai and planning an attack on a Danish newspaper — was sentenced to 35 years in prison, according to the US Department of Justice.

Rana is alleged to have facilitated a fraudulent cover, enabling his childhood friend Headley (born Daood Gilani) to travel freely to Mumbai to survey potential targets on behalf of the banned terror outfit.

Headley had reportedly received extensive training from LeT operatives in Pakistan and stayed in constant touch with them during the planning stages of the attacks.

Among other allegations, Rana is accused of agreeing to open a Mumbai branch of his immigration services business and appointing Headley as its manager, despite his lack of immigration experience.

On two separate occasions, Rana allegedly assisted Headley in preparing and submitting visa applications to Indian authorities that included information he knew to be false.

He is also accused of providing, through an unsuspecting business partner, documentation that supported Headley’s efforts to obtain formal approval from Indian authorities to open the Mumbai branch of the business.

Over a period of more than two years, Headley reportedly met Rana in Chicago and shared details of his surveillance activities conducted on behalf of LeT. While in custody, Rana is undergoing a medical examination every 24 hours, sources said.