What Secrets Does Tahawwur Rana Hold About the Mumbai Attack? Investigators Seek Answers

Investigators Probe Tahawwur Rana's Connections

New Delhi: Investigators revealed on Monday that Tahawwur Rana, implicated in the Mumbai attacks, has been reticent about discussing the financial elements of his operations and his connections with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

During an extensive interrogation lasting over ten hours, which included breaks for meals and medical evaluations, Rana, aged 64, was questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) regarding his immigration and travel business based in Chicago.

He faced inquiries about a notable increase in his phone communications with David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, who is currently incarcerated in the United States, particularly around the time of the November 26, 2008 attacks.

Sources indicate that Rana may be documenting key questions and his responses in a personal diary, which he requested through a plea in the Special NIA court, likely to maintain consistency in his statements during the 18-day interrogation process.

On several matters, Rana, a former officer in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps, has claimed he cannot recall specific details related to the attack that occurred 17 years ago.

In the months leading up to the 26/11 incident, Headley established an office in Mumbai, which served as a front for scouting potential targets. He reportedly utilized satellite geotagging to identify these targets and relayed the information to the handlers of the ten Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants.

The NIA is focused on uncovering details about the extensive groundwork and planning carried out by LeT and ISI for the Mumbai attacks, which unfolded from November 26 to November 29, 2008, resulting in 166 fatalities, including six American citizens.

Rana is being interrogated about individuals mentioned in intercepted communications among the terrorists, their handlers, and certain ISI officials, including Major Iqbal, also known as Major Samir Ali.

Other names that have surfaced in these recorded conversations include individuals referred to as Pasha, Nana, Wasi, and Tayya.

Additionally, investigators are seeking Rana's insights into the roles of various operatives from LeT and Harkat-ul Jihadi Islami (HuJI), such as Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed, Sajjid Majid, Illyas Kashmiri, and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.