Although during the trial, the main focus would be on the links between the ISI and terror, India would still go ahead with its own set of questions.
NIA sources say that the questionnaire for Rana would be more on the lines of the one prepared for American terror operative David Coleman Headley, but there would be more additions to it once his testimony before the US court is complete
India's case against Lashkar-e-Tayiba operatives Tawwahur Rana and David Coleman Headly are in limbo since no decision has been taken on whether a team of the National Investigating Agency would be sent to the United States to question them. Rana and Headly were both accused of helping plan the 26/11 terror strike in Mumbai, in which several Americans were killed. While Headley turned into a prime witness for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rana was acquitted.
The National Investigation Agency has finished the paperwork needed to question Tawwahur Rana, who was sentenced to a 14-year jail term for providing support to Pakistani terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba.
India has asked the United States to 'temporarily' hand over Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist David Headley for a year and extradite his accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana to get more information about the conspiracy behind Mumbai terror attacks.
The interrogation of terror operative Abu Jundal has shed more light on the LeT's plans and the IM's operations. Vicky Nanjappa reports
NIA officials say that though he had been cleared of any direct involvement in the 26/11 attack, they would continue to pursue the case in India as per the chargesheet that has been filed. Vicky Nanjappa reports
The interesting link that has emerged is that of the retired Pakistan Major Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed also known as Pasha. The Pasha link to the case vindicates India's stand that several persons from within the Pakistan establishment were involved in the horrific Mumbai attack. Apart from helping David Headley with his mission, Pasha is the man responsible for bridging the Inter-Services-Intelligence Ilyas Kashmiri gap in a bid to launch a global jihad.
With the Tawwahur Rana trial on in full swing at a court in Chicago, the biggest challenge that would be before the National Investigating Agency is to nail the link between him and David Headley.
For Pakistan, it's a Catch-22 situation. Under pressure from the United States, it may have to chop and change the ISI set-up. But if it tinkers too much with the elite agency, Islamabad risks a more horrifying repurcussion. Vicky Nanjappa reports
Souces point out that Abdul Al-Hooti could have done more than just providing SIM cards which were used during the Mumbai attack. With evidence against Al-Hooti in the Mumbai attack increasing, the Indian agencies say that apart from interrogating Headley on these lines, they would also be building a case to seek Al-Hooti's extradition from Oman.
Even as a team of the Federal Bureau of Investigation gets ready to share a mammoth dossier on David Headley and Tawwahur Rana, Indian agencies are bracing themselves to gather information on the duo.
Naseer is a prized catch since he played a crucial role in the various serial blasts that rocked the country. Moreover, he is also suspected to have guided terror suspect Tawwahur Rana (arrested for being a Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative by the FBI in Chicago) during the latter's visit to Kerala prior to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation team has arrived in New Delhi and is holding discussions with its Indian counterparts. The main focus of the discussion will revolve round the role played by both David Headley and Tawwahur Rana in the Mumbai 26/11 attack.
Saroj Kumar Rath, author of the newly-published book Fragile Frontiers: The Secret History of Mumbai Terror Attacks, speaks to Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances