'Not allowed': Delhi court turns down 26/11 terror attack plotter Tahawwur Rana's plea to speak with family

Delhi's Patiala house court on Thursday dismissed a request by Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key plotter in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks , seeking permission to speak with his family.

"Not allowed," ruled special judge Chander Jit Singh, turning down Rana’s application.

The 64-year-old Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman, currently in NIA custody , had filed the plea through his lawyer, claiming that communicating with family was his fundamental right. He argued his relatives must be concerned about his wellbeing.

However, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) strongly opposed the plea, warning the court that any such communication could result in the leakage of sensitive information. The agency said the probe is at a “crucial stage”.

Rana was remanded to 18-day custody on April 10. The NIA told the court that David Coleman Headley, the main conspirator of the 2008 attacks, had planned the operation with Rana before coming to India.

Headley had reportedly emailed Rana outlining his assets and belongings in case of any fallout, and also informed him of the involvement of Pakistani nationals Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman in the plot.

Rana, a close associate of Headley (also known as Daood Gilani), was extradited to India from the United States after the US Supreme Court dismissed his final appeal against extradition on April 4.

The 26/11 attacks left 166 people dead and hundreds injured, as 10 Pakistani terrorists carried out a 60-hour siege across multiple locations in Mumbai, including the Taj and Trident hotels, CST railway station, and a Jewish centre.