Delhi Court Deliberates on NIA's Custody Plea for 26/11 Accused Tahawwur Rana

A Delhi court reserved its order on the NIA's request for extended custody of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Rana's lawyer advocated for his defense, while the NIA argued their need for custody to untangle the attack's conspiracy. The court maintained strict oversight on Rana's detention conditions.

A Delhi court on Monday reserved its decision regarding the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) plea to extend custody of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, implicated in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, for an additional 12 days. Rana was presented before special NIA Judge Chander Jit Singh, following his initial 18-day custody period, under heightened security measures.

The courtroom proceedings saw senior advocate Dayan Krishnan and special public prosecutor Narender Mann representing the NIA, while Rana's defense was led by Advocate Piyush Sachdeva from the Delhi Legal Services Authority. Enhanced custody is sought by the NIA to further investigate the comprehensive conspiracy surrounding the infamous 2008 attacks.

Rana, once a close aide to main conspirator David Coleman Headley, was extradited to India after his appeal was rejected by the US Supreme Court in April. The 26/11 attacks, executed by a group of 10 Pakistani terrorists, claimed 166 lives and targeted high-profile locations across Mumbai, using the sea route for ingress.

(With inputs from agencies.)