A Delhi court has granted permission to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to collect voice and handwriting samples of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, according to sources.
The order was passed by Special NIA Judge Chander Jit Singh on April 30, acting on an application filed by the central probe agency. This development follows the judge’s earlier decision on April 28 to extend Rana’s custody by 12 days.
Rana, a close associate of David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani — one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks — was recently extradited to India after the United States Supreme Court rejected his review petition against extradition on April 4.
Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian national and former US resident, is alleged to have played a crucial role in supporting and facilitating the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s operations through Headley.
The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, one of the deadliest in India’s history, saw ten Pakistani terrorists unleash coordinated assaults on multiple targets, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Oberoi Trident, and the Nariman House (a Jewish centre). The carnage, which lasted nearly 60 hours, claimed 166 lives and left hundreds injured.
Rana’s samples are expected to be crucial in corroborating evidence related to the attack conspiracy and communications among the plotters.
