2008 Mumbai attacks: Delhi court allows Tahawwur Rana to talk to kin over phone
A Delhi court on Monday allowed jailed 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana to speak to his family members over a phone call. Special Judge Chander Jit Singh allowed Rana the reprieve only one time.
The call would be in line with the jail manual and under the supervision of the Tihar Jail authority, the judge said. The court also called for a fresh report on Rana's health within 10 days from Monday.
A report from the jail authorities clarifying their stand on whether Rana should be allowed regular phone calls was also directed to be filed by the judge. The 64-year-old Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman is currently in judicial custody.
Rana, a close associate of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks main conspirator David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani, a US citizen, was brought to India after the US Supreme Court on April 4 dismissed his review plea against his extradition.
Advocate Piyush Sachdeva from Delhi Legal Services Authority was appointed to represent Rana.
Rana is accused of conspiring with Headley and operatives of designated terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) along with other Pakistan-based co-conspirators, to carry out the three-day terror siege of India's financial capital.
On November 26, 2008, a group of 10 Pakistani terrorists went on a rampage, carrying out a coordinated attack on a railway station, two luxury hotels and a Jewish centre, after they sneaked into India's financial capital using the sea route in the Arabian Sea. As many as 166 people were killed in the nearly 60-hour assault.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Girl runs away to meet BF, his parents alert her family
Nagpur: Acting responsibly, an Azamgarh-based family in Uttar Pradesh alerted the parents of a 17-year-old standard X student from Nagpur, who had landed up at their residence after falling in love with their son. The minor girl had befriended the youngster from Azamgarh on a social media platform, and developed a relationship over the last few months ago. Sources said that the Azamgarh youngster had sponsored the minor girl's ticket to take a bus to his hometown on June 4. After she reached Azamgarh, the youngster took her to his home and expressed his desire to marry her. The youngster's family, realising the girl was still a minor, immediately alerted her parents, who were already searching for her. An offence had also been registered at Old Kamptee police station following the family's complaint. Immediately afterwards, the Azamgarh family ensured the girl returned to the city by train on June 6. She was taken into custody by senior inspector Lalita Todase's team of the anti-human trafficking unit of the crime branch. After counselling, the girl was reunited with her family, and accordingly, the Old Kamptee police station was also informed.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Project Pelican: Canada busts drug racket financing anti-India activities
NEW DELHI: Project Pelican, a major investigation conducted by Peel Regional Police, has busted a big narco-terror network based out of Canada and individuals suspected to be Khalistan sympathisers. While the operation led to the largest ever drug seizure there with 479 kg of cocaine valued at $47.9 million, nine individuals including seven Indian-origin men settled in Canada have been arrested. The investigation has revealed that the network exploited commercial trucking routes from the US to Canada, with ties to Mexican cartels and US-based distributors, the Peel police said. The proceeds from drug trafficking were being used to finance anti-India activities, including protests and referendums besides funding for weapons, sources said. Intelligence sources pointed towards an ISI-backed plan where Khalistani groups in Canada are being funded to traffick high value Mexican cocaine. The ISI has also been been found pushing Afghan-grown heroin. The arrested men include Sajgith Yogendrarajah, 31, of Toronto; Manpreet Singh, 44, of Brampton; Philip Tep, 39, of Hamilton; Arvinder Powar, 29, of Brampton; Karamjit Singh, 36, of Caledon; Gurtej Singh, 36, of Caledon; Sartaj Singh, 27, of Cambridge; Shiv Onkar Singh, 31, of Georgetown and Hao Tommy Huynh, a 27-year-old from Mississauga. They face a total of 35 charges related to firearm and drug offences, the Canadian police said. Last Dec, two Canadian nationals of Indian origin were arrested when US Illinois State Police found over 1,000 pounds of cocaine in their Volvo truck: something which alerted the investigators to the smuggling ring involving ISI which patronised illegal poppy cultivation in Afghanistan to help Taliban fight the US and Afghan troops. The current investigation began in June 2024, focusing on a cocaine smuggling operation using US-Canada commercial trucking routes. By Nov, multiple individuals, trucking companies, and storage sites linked to the operation were identified with the help of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Significant seizures were made between Feb and May 2025, including 127 kg of cocaine at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor and 50 kg at the Blue Water Bridge in Point Edward, the Peel police said in a statement. Additional seizures were made across the Greater Toronto area, with some individuals arrested in possession of loaded firearms. "A total of 479 kg of bricked cocaine, worth an estimated $47.9 million, was seized, along with two illegal loaded semi-automatic handguns. The accused were held for a bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton," the Peel police said. Michael S Kerzner, solicitor general of Ontario, praised the operation, stating, "Project Pelican is proof of what police can accomplish when they have the tools and resources needed to keep our communities safe."
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
India Won Operation Sindoor – But What Does The Army Want Next, And Who Poses The Greatest Threat?
New Delhi: India crushed Pakistan's assault during Operation Sindoor. But after the dust settled, something more alarming came into view. China was not sitting on the sidelines. It was pulling strings from behind the curtain. Indian radars picked up Chinese-made jets in Pakistani skies. Chinese missiles were used to target Indian bases. Beijing was deeply involved. That means India was not fighting just Pakistan. India was up against two enemies at once. Military officers have sounded the alarm. They want India's defence budget raised to 2.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Right now, the defence allocation stands at just 1.9%. A huge portion of that money goes into salaries and pensions. Only a quarter of it helps modernise the military. This cannot continue. Not when two hostile neighbours are preparing for something bigger. China has been pumping weapons into Pakistan. In the May 7-10 clashes, Pakistan deployed Chinese J-10 jets and HQ-9 missile systems. Beijing has promised to send more – stealth fighters, long-range air defence weapons and new-generation drones. China is flooding Pakistan with cutting-edge military tools. Pakistan's economy is in crisis. But even then, Islamabad raised its defence budget by 20%. It cut development. It ignored debt. It focused on weapons. India must respond, believe experts, arguing that it is time for total self-reliance in defence production. India must build fighter jets, drones, loitering munitions and missiles on its own. The private sector must step in. Half-measures will not do. Half-prepared armies lose wars. India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project has started moving. But it must move faster. Tejas took decades. The same mistake cannot happen again. The Indian Air Force is short on fighter squadrons. It has just 30. The target is 42.5. Drones are the new face of war. Swarm drones. FPV kamikaze drones. Loitering drones. India needs all of these, and it needs them in bulk. No country will come to India's rescue in a full-scale war. India must stand on its own. During Operation Sindoor, India used Russian S-400s, Israeli Barak-8s and its own Akash missiles. These systems intercepted and neautralised many Pakistani drone and missile attacks. But more layers are needed. DRDO must now accelerate two things – short-range air defence systems and long-range strike missiles like Project Kusha. Military reform is also crucial. India has a huge army. It must cut unnecessary spending. It must remove red tape from weapons procurement. And it must create joint theatre commands that allow the Army, Navy and Air Force to fight as one. A senior military commander put it bluntly. India is now staring at a superpower that is feeding a hostile neighbour. Pakistan may fire the bullets. But China is loading the gun. India cannot look away anymore. The next battle may not wait for long.
