Delhi court permits 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana one-time phone call with family
The court has allowed Mumbai attacks accused Tahawwur Rana to make a monitored phone call to his family.
Delhi's Patiala House court on Monday reportedly granted 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana permission to make a phone call to his family.
The call will be strictly conducted in accordance with jail regulations and under the supervision of a senior official from the Tihar jail authorities, ANI news agency quoted the court as saying.
Additional Sessions Judge (NIA) Chander Jit Singh also asked for a detailed status report on Tahawwur Rana’s health, which must be submitted within 10 days.
The National Investigation Agency had reportedly approved permission for this one-time phone call. The court also sought a detailed report from the jail authorities, clarifying their stance on whether Rana should be allowed regular phone calls in the future as per Jail Manual.
The NIA had previously said that he was confronted with substantial evidence related to the 26/11 attacks, seeking for further custody, citing his cryptic behavior during questioning and lack of cooperation.
Delhi Legal Services Authority's Piyush Sachdeva is representing Rana against Dayan Krishnan who is leading the NIA prosecution in Delhi. Dayan had led India's arguments for Rana's extradition in a US court earlier.
Rana, 64, a Pakistan-born Canadian national, is accused of being one of the key conspirators of the deadly three-day long terror attacks that shook Mumbai on the November 26, 2008, alongside David Coleman Headley alias Dawood Sayed Gilani.
Rana is accused of joining hands with terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) along with others, to carry out the three-day long terror attack on the financial capital of the nation.
He was extradited to India on April 9, after the US Supreme Court dismissed his review plea as a last-ditch attempt on April 4. He is kept in NIA custody in Tihar Jail since he landed in Delhi on April 10.
On Friday, the court extended Tahawwur Rana's judicial custody, scheduling his next appearance for July 9.
