Rana once said Indians ‘deserved’ 26/11 attacks, now on suicide watch

Soon after the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai that killed over 160, alleged conspirator Tahawwur Rana told co-conspirator David Coleman Headley that Indians “deserved it”. The former Pakistan Army doctor, who was extradited to India, has been put on suicide watch in jail and was reportedly shocked to learn how long his trial could take in India during his first appearance before a Delhi court.Rana, who was brought to Delhi from the US on April 10, was produced before a court which remanded him to the custody of the National Investigation Agency for 18 days. The agency had sought his custody for 20 days, expressing concern that Rana might orchestrate terror plots like 26/11 targeting additional Indian cities. The court stipulated multiple conditions, including permission for Rana to consult with his legal representative every alternate day while in custody. The court also specified that Rana could only use a soft-tip pen and must conduct meetings with his lawyer under NIA supervision and within hearing range.‘Should be given the Nishan-e-Haider’The US Department of Justice revealed that Rana, following the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which over 160 people died, told Headley that Indians “deserved it.”In a statement that revealed an intercepted conversation with Headley, Rana allegedly commended the nine Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who had been killed committing the attacks. One terrorist Mohammad Ajmal Kasab was captured and executed in 2012.The statement revealed that Rana said, “They (the nine terrorists) should be given Nishan-e-Haider”- which is Pakistan’s highest award for gallantry in battle that is reserved for fallen soldiers, the statement said.The Department of Justice said that India had alleged Rana facilitated a fraudulent cover so that his childhood friend Headley could freely travel to Mumbai to conduct surveillance of potential attack sites for the Lashkar-e-Taiba.“As India alleges, Headley had received training from LeT members in Pakistan and was in direct communication with LeT about plans to attack Mumbai,” the US Department of Justice statement read.120232400“Among other things, Rana allegedly agreed to open a Mumbai branch of his immigration business and appoint Headley as the manager of the office, despite Headley’s having no immigration experience. On two separate occasions, Rana allegedly helped Headley prepare and submit visa applications to Indian authorities that contained information Rana knew to be false.“Rana also allegedly supplied, through his unsuspecting business partner, documentation in support of Headley’s attempt to secure formal approval from Indian authorities to open a branch office of Rana’s business,” the DoJ statement read.“Over the course of more than two years, Headley allegedly repeatedly met with Rana in Chicago and described his surveillance activities on behalf of LeT, LeT’s responses to Headley’s activities, and LeT’s potential plans for attacking Mumbai,” the statement said.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the extradition of Rana in a post on X. “Together, with India, we’ve long sought justice for the 166 people, including six Americans, who lost their lives in these attacks. I'm glad that day has come,” he said on X.His counterpart S Jaishankar responded, appreciating the counter-terrorism cooperation between the countries. “This is indeed a big step in ensuring justice for victims of 26/11 attacks,” he said.Worried on learning how long trial would takeWalking slowly in a brown jumpsuit with Crocs as footwear, wearing spectacles and a four-to-six-inch white beard, a fringe of white hair framing a balding scalp, Rana was produced before the special NIA court of special judge Chander Jit Singh in Patiala House Court at around 10.30pm on April 10 amid heavy security. His legal aid counsels (LACs) — advocates Piyush Sachdeva and Lakshya Dheer — were provided to him by Delhi State Legal Services Authority.Worry seemed to flit across Rana’s face when he asked his legal counsels whether his trial would be over in a year or so and received “No” as a reply, sources said. His lawyers told him that just the filing of a chargesheet against him could consume a year, and that the entire trial, even a fast one, could take between five to 10 years.medium120232421As he got a quick primer on the pace of the Indian legal system, Rana asked if he could plead the “Fifth”, to which his counsels said Indian laws also provide protection from “self-incrimination”, sources said. “Pleading the Fifth”, or invoking the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, means refusing to answer questions or providing information that could incriminate oneself.Looking frail, tired, and jet-lagged, Rana displayed no other signs of anxiety during the court proceedings. However, the effects of age-related ailments were visible on the former Pakistan Army officer accused of a key role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Rana suffers from various ailments, including abdominal, intestinal, and sinus cysts.According to sources, he came across as a “smart individual” who can strike up “casual conversations”. Rana was offered fruits by NIA personnel while waiting for court proceedings to begin, which he refused, but interacted “comfortably” with agency members. Sources said that Rana is being “taken good care of”. Government agencies want to make this case a “model one” so no one is going to take any chances, said sources.Rana’s major concern, apart from his claim that he is innocent and that extradition was not needed as he had already spent over a decade in jail and had been “acquitted” in the matter, was his medical care. On this, NIA assured the special judge that he would be provided all the medical care he needs. The question of “manhandling” also came up in the hearing, which was addressed by the court directing that Rana be medically examined every 48 hours.A US district court trial by jury had acquitted Rana on June 9, 2011 of conspiracy to provide material support to the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The hearing for his remand was over within 10-15 minutes at around 11pm on April 10. However, the order was pronounced at around 2am April 11.On suicide watchRana is being kept on “suicide watch” in a highly secure cell within National Investigation Agency headquarters in Delhi with 24/7 human and CCTV surveillance. The agency’s headquarters on Lodhi Road has been blanketed in multi-layered security. 120232453“Rana has been kept in a 14x14 cell on the ground floor. He will be allowed only a soft-tip pen to write so that he can’t harm himself,” a source said.On April 11, NIA officers began questioning Rana in a bid to unravel the larger conspiracy behind the terror strike. The interrogation is likely to focus on, besides his connection with ISI, involvement with sleeper cells in India, particularly those linked to his associate, Headley. Headley is suspected to have recruited sleeper cells in Pushkar, Goa, Delhi and other places, sources said.