Tahawwur Rana is accused of conspiring with David Headley and operatives of designated terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) along with other Pakistan-based co-conspirators, to carry out attacks in Mumbai in 2008.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is currently interrogating Tahawwur Rana, a key conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, following his extradition from the United States to India on April 10. During the intense rounds of questioning, Rana has made several explosive revelations that shed light on his deep-rooted connections with global terror outfits, radical elements, and Pakistan’s notorious spy agency — Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
According to sources, Rana has confirmed that the planning of 26/11 was overseen by the ISI in collaboration with Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, under the codename “Sura of Zaki”. This high-level meeting involved key figures of LeT and ISI, marking a chilling nexus between state-backed elements and terror outfits. Rana has also admitted to preaching extremist ideologies in Canada under the guise of Markaz-ud-Dawat-wal-Irshad (MDI), an Islamic fundamentalist organisation. MDI, now rebranded as Jamaat-ud-Dawa, is widely known for its links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Beyond its purported religious and charitable facade, MDI has long been suspected of providing critical support to terror operations, including recruitment, funding, and logistical assistance.
The NIA has further uncovered Rana’s direct affiliation with the HUJI 313 Brigade, led by the infamous terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri. His activities allegedly spanned both Canada and India, working in tandem with Pakistan’s ISI to fund and facilitate recruitment for terror networks. One of the most damning revelations is Rana’s role in planning attacks on several Chabad Houses, including a possible strike on India’s National Defence College in Delhi. Using a “one-to-one sleeper cell strategy,” Rana ensured operatives worked in isolation, minimising the risk of detection. He is accused of providing logistics and finances to over five terrorists operating in India — exposing that he was not just a financier for David Headley, but also for others under ISI’s guidance.
As per sources, investigators are also scrutinising Rana’s contacts in Dubai, particularly an individual believed to have arranged a meeting between Rana and Abdur Rehman, another conspirator in the 26/11 attacks. Rana has allegedly confessed to instructing Headley, under direct orders from Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal, to carry out reconnaissance missions. Approximately 40–50 high-value targets, including 12 major locations in Mumbai such as army cantonments, Siddhivinayak Temple, Shiv Sena Headquarters, and Chabad House, were surveyed and video recorded, said sources.
Furthermore, Rana also has acknowledged being aware of Headley’s relationship with an Indian entrepreneur woman but clarified that she had no involvement in the terror plot, as per sources. Rana allegedly encouraged Headley to network with high-profile and influential Indians, aiming to gain easier access for reconnaissance missions.
The NIA is now in the process of preparing sketches of key operatives, including Major Iqbal, Major Sameer, a figure codenamed “D”, Abu Anas, and others potentially involved. After the 26/11 attacks, Rana, Headley, and their handlers began using coded language, referring to their operation as the “MMP” project, which aimed at planning attacks in both India and Denmark, sources added. Meanwhile, Digital forensics has also unearthed vital email data, including communications from rawsa1@hotmail.com and 13 other IDs, which are now part of the investigation.
2008 Mumbai terror attack
It is to be noted here that Rana is accused of conspiring with Headley and operatives of designated terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) along with other Pakistan-based co-conspirators, to carry out the three-day terror siege of India’s financial capital. On November 26, 2008, a group of 10 Pakistani terrorists went on a rampage, carrying out a coordinated attack on a railway station, two luxury hotels and a Jewish centre, after they sneaked in Mumbai using the sea route in the Arabian Sea. As many as 166 people were killed in the nearly 60-hour assault.
