Delhi Court allows 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana to call with family to hire private lawyer

A Delhi court on Thursday permitted 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana to make phone calls to his family members, strictly for the purpose of engaging a private legal counsel. The order was passed by Special Judge Chander Jit Singh during an in-chamber proceeding.

Rana is currently represented by advocate Piyush Sachdeva from the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA), who was appointed as his legal aid counsel. Rana, however, sought permission to communicate with his family to explore the option of hiring a private lawyer. The court allowed limited telephonic conversations for this purpose alone.

The application faced opposition from Tihar jail authorities, who objected to Rana’s request to contact his family over the phone. Despite the objections, the court permitted the calls under restricted conditions. No details were provided about how the calls would be monitored or the number of calls allowed.

Rana is alleged to be a close associate of David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, a US citizen and a key conspirator in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Headley conducted reconnaissance missions in Mumbai prior to the attacks and is currently serving a sentence in the United States. Rana was extradited to India after the US Supreme Court dismissed his review petition challenging his extradition on April 4, 2024.

The 26/11 Mumbai attacks began on November 26, 2008, when ten armed Pakistani terrorists entered Mumbai via sea and carried out coordinated assaults on major locations including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Trident Hotel, and the Chabad House Jewish centre. The attacks lasted nearly 60 hours and resulted in the deaths of 166 people.