New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): A Delhi court has scheduled a hearing for June 9 to consider a plea filed by Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, seeking permission to communicate with his family while in judicial custody.
Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian national recently extradited from the United States, is currently held in judicial custody until June 6. In his petition before the Patiala House Court, he has requested to be allowed to speak with his family under the norms set by jail authorities.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has submitted its response to the plea. The court has now directed the Tihar Jail authorities to file their comments based on the NIA’s reply. A final decision on the matter is expected during the next hearing.
During the earlier phase of his detention under NIA custody, Rana was denied family communication. His lawyer, Advocate Piyush Sachdeva, argued that Rana, as a foreign national, has a basic right to stay in contact with his family, who are reportedly anxious about his condition in custody.
However, the NIA has opposed the request, expressing concerns about the possibility of sensitive information being leaked during such communications, especially given the ongoing investigation into his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Tahawwur Rana was extradited from the U.S. as part of India’s efforts to bring to justice all conspirators of the November 26, 2008 attacks, in which over 170 people were killed and hundreds more injured. The attacks were carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terror group.
Rana is suspected of having provided support to the attackers and their handlers. Investigators have recently collected his voice and handwriting samples as part of the ongoing probe to establish direct links between him and other perpetrators of the attacks.
The outcome of the June 9 hearing could have implications not only for Rana’s treatment in custody but also for how foreign nationals accused in terror-related cases are permitted to exercise communication rights in India. (ANI)
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