New Delhi:
Sources said on Thursday that a high-level inquiry team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would question Tahavur Rana, who is the prime accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, which is soon after reaching India.
The team will include two Inspector Generals (IG), one Deputy Inspector General (DIG), and one Superintendent of Police (SP). Sources said that intelligence agency officials would also question him.
In view of the sensitivity around the case, the elite SWAT unit of the Delhi Police has been deployed to ensure the safe movement of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials.
Additionally, the special cell of the Delhi Police has been placed on high alert, while the SWAT commandos have been deployed at the airport for security management.
As part of the detailed security system, the responsibility of maintaining the external security cordon has been entrusted to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and local police teams.
Sources confirmed that all necessary steps have been taken to ensure safe transit and high-profile terrorist suspect custody. Security has also been increased at NIA headquarters in the national capital.
64 -year -old Pakistan -born Canadian National is being extradited from the US after a long legal battle. A special chartered flight left her from the US on 9 April and is expected to land at Delhi at any time. On his arrival, Rana will be formally arrested by the NIA and is likely to be produced in Delhi Court shortly after.
According to sources, Rana is expected to be recorded in a high security ward in Tihar Jail. Authorities have already made extensive preparations to keep it safely inside the jail premises.
Rana, a close associate of David Coleman Headley Alias Dawood Gilani – 2008 Mumbai attacks – have been charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including the criminal conspiracy, the war against the Indian government, the murder and forgery, as well as the allegations under the illegal activities (Prevention) Act.
Despite the progress, the Mumbai Police has not yet received a formal notification about the transfer to the city for testing proceedings. Rana also suspects a close relationship with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and a banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tiba, which was responsible for orchestrating 166-life-claiming attacks.
The joint operation to extradite Rana is coordinated between the NIA and the Research and Analysis Wing (Raw), which marks a significant moment in ongoing efforts to judge the mastermind of India’s 26/11 attacks.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is published by a syndicated feed.)
