Tahawwur Rana's Kochi visit days ahead of 26/11 attacks still remains mystery

Thiruvananthapuram: The NIA interrogation of Mumbai attacks mastermind Tahawwur Hussain Rana can possibly unravel the mystery over his brief visit to Kochi in Kerala just days ahead of the 26/11 terror strikes.

Preliminary investigation had earlier found that Rana was in Kochi on November 16, 2008 and there were even reports that Rana, who stayed at a luxury hotel, visited some strategic locations.

Kerala former state police chief Loknath Behera, who had served with NIA and was involved in the Mumbai terror strikes probe, said that Rana was found to have stayed in a luxury hotel in Kochi and published a newspaper advertisement on behalf of his immigration consultancy service seeking applications for job opportunities in Canada and the US.

"We could confirm his presence in Kochi by showing his picture to people like hotel staff. Though we got to quiz David Coleman Headley in the US, he did not give any information regarding Rana's Kochi visit," Behara, who was part of the NIA team that quizzed Headly, told DH.

Neither the NIA, nor the Kerala police could unearth further details like the people Rana met in Kochi and his purpose of visit to Kochi, which is considered as Kerala's commercial capital and also a port city.

"Now that the NIA officials got him in custody they can possibly extract more information from Rana on his Kochi visit," said Behera, who is now serving as Kochi Metro Rail Limited managing director.

Since Rana's travel to Kochi happened just ahead of the Mumbai terror attacks, the chances of the visit being part of the whole conspiracy has not been ruled out by Kerala police sources.

Around hundred youths from Kerala were earlier recruited to terror outfits and many of them died in encounters abroad. While many of them were wooed while working abroad, other got attracted to the terror outfits through close social media groups.