Under suicide watch: Tahawwur Rana kept in high-security cell at NIA headquarters; confined to a 14x14-foot cell
PTC Web Desk: In a high-security operation that marks a significant step in India's fight against terrorism, Tahawwur Rana — a key co-conspirator in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks — has been extradited from the United States and placed in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for 18 days. The Pakistani-Canadian national is now being held in a top-security facility under constant surveillance and strict conditions.
As per The Times of India, Rana is under suicide watch inside the NIA’s New Delhi headquarters. His movements are constantly monitored through human presence and CCTV. He is confined to a 14x14-foot cell on the ground floor of the building, with multi-layered digital security systems ensuring no breach occurs.
Only 12 specially authorised NIA officials are permitted access to the room, and even his lawyer is allowed to meet him only under supervision. Even the smallest objects are regulated — he’s only allowed to write using a soft-tip pen, a precaution taken due to his suicide risk status.
All his essential needs, including meals, water, and medical attention, are provided inside the cell. Since his arrival, the NIA headquarters has turned into a virtual fortress, with increased deployment of Delhi Police and paramilitary forces. Entry is restricted and heavily regulated.
How rana reached India
Rana’s extradition follows a long legal battle in the United States. Despite exhausting all possible legal options to stop his extradition, a US court allowed his handover tothe Indian authorities, months after Donald Trump’s commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Rana would face trial in India.
On Thursday, he was flown to New Delhi and presented before Special NIA Judge Chander Jit Singh, who granted the agency 18 days' custody to interrogate him.
What NIA aims to uncover
The NIA is focusing on digging deeper into the larger terror conspiracy surrounding the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which claimed 166 lives and left over 300 injured. Rana, a close associate of David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani—the key planner of the attacks—is suspected to have conspired alongside him and Pakistan-based terror groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI).
Investigators believe Rana holds critical intelligence regarding the operational structure of the terror plot and his possible links to Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI. According to the NIA, Rana’s statements could lead to “additional discoveries”, including identification of hidden collaborators and new leads within the cross-border terror network.
Mapping his pre-attack movements
The authorities are also tracing his travel trail across India just days before the attacks unfolded on November 26, 2008. Between November 13 and 21 that year, Rana reportedly visited Hapur and Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Delhi, Kochi, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai along with his wife Samraz Rana Akhtar.
As part of the interrogation, the NIA may take Rana to some of these key locations to reconstruct events and gather additional evidence. These visits are expected to provide vital insight into how he helped lay the groundwork for one of the most devastating terror attacks in India’s history.
- With inputs from agencies
