NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of Tahawwur Rana, one of the key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, until August 13, following the filing of a supplementary chargesheet by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The supplementary chargesheet includes Rana’s arrest memo, seizure records, and several other documents related to the case. Rana was produced before Special Judge Chander Jit Singh via video conferencing after the expiry of his previous custody order.
Earlier this month, Rana reportedly made startling revelations to the Mumbai Crime Branch, claiming that he was a trusted agent of the Pakistan Army and was present in Mumbai during the 26/11 attacks, which left 166 people dead across the city, including at iconic locations such as the Taj Mahal Hotel.
The NIA, which filed the first chargesheet against him back in 2012, suspects that Rana played a critical role in aiding David Coleman Headley, another accused in the case. Rana is believed to have provided Headley with handwritten notes, coordinates, and maps to help identify and surveil potential targets in Mumbai before the attack.
Authorities have indicated plans to take Rana to Mumbai and other locations to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the deadly assault orchestrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Rana was extradited from the United States to India on April 10, 2025, after the US Supreme Court rejected his review petition challenging the extradition order. He had been fighting extradition for years since his arrest in the U.S. in connection with the case.
During the court hearing, Rana’s legal counsel also raised concerns about his deteriorating health condition, prompting the Patiala House Court to direct Tihar Jail authorities to submit a status report by August 9.
As the case progresses, Tahawwur Rana now faces trial in one of India’s deadliest terrorist attacks, which sent shockwaves around the world and redefined the country’s counterterrorism approach.
