Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 14: Tahawwur Rana, the Pakistani-origin plotter linked to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is proving to be evasive under interrogation, with investigators revealing that he has yet to fully disclose details about his financial dealings and connections with Pakistan’s spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The 64-year-old former Pakistan Army medical officer underwent over 10 hours of intense questioning by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), interrupted only by meals and a routine health check. His interrogation centered around the workings of his Chicago-based immigration and travel agency, which allegedly served as a front for facilitating terrorist operations.
Sources said investigators focused on Rana’s frequent phone interactions with David Coleman Headley — also known as Daood Gilani — in the weeks leading up to the 26/11 attacks. Headley, a U.S. citizen currently imprisoned in America, had earlier admitted to surveying targets in Mumbai under the guise of business activity. Just months before the deadly attacks, he even set up an office in the city to aid in reconnaissance operations.
Investigators suspect Rana is documenting key questions and his responses in a personal diary — a request he made to the special NIA court — likely in an effort to maintain a consistent narrative during the full 18-day course of questioning.
However, Rana has shown signs of selective amnesia, claiming he cannot recall certain aspects of the attack planning that took place nearly two decades ago. This has raised eyebrows, especially as NIA attempts to unravel the complex planning web that spanned over three years and was orchestrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives and ISI handlers.
Officials are particularly focused on identifying the roles of several individuals whose names surfaced in intercepted communications between the attackers, their handlers, and ISI officers. These include aliases such as Major Iqbal (also referred to as Major Samir Ali), Pasha, Nana, Wasi, and Tayya.
Rana is also being pressed for insights into the involvement of senior terror figures associated with LeT and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI), including Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed, Sajid Majid, Illyas Kashmiri, and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi — all of whom are believed to have played key roles in orchestrating one of the deadliest terror attacks in Indian history, which killed 166 people, including six American citizens.
While the interrogation continues, Rana’s half-hearted cooperation has only deepened the urgency of uncovering the full extent of his involvement and the wider network that enabled the 26/11 carnage.