India questions Mumbai-attacks accused after extradition
NEW DELHI: Indian investigative agencies on Friday questioned a man they extradited from the United States and charged with being a “mastermind” of the deadly 2008 Mumbai siege.
India accuses Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 66, of being a member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, designated by the United Nations as a terrorist organisation.
Rana, a Pakistan-born Canadian, has denied all charges — including waging war against India, conspiring to commit murder and acts of terrorism. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), which accuses Rana of being the attack’s “mastermind”, took him into custody under heavy guard after he arrived in a special flight to the capital New Delhi on Thursday evening.
“Rana will remain in custody for 18 days, during which the agency will question him in detail in order to unravel the complete conspiracy behind the deadly 2008 attacks,” NIA said.
He was flown to India after the US Supreme Court this month rejected his bid to remain in the United States, where he was serving a 14-year sentence related to another LeT-linked attack.
India released a photograph of Rana arriving in Delhi, taken from his back, dressed in a brown jumpsuit and guarded by NIA officers.—AFP