Tahawwur Rana stayed at Mumbai hotel days before 26/11 terror attacks, say police in chargesheet

Tahawwur Rana stayed at Mumbai hotel days before 26/11 terror attacks, say police in chargesheet

In the supplementary chargesheet filed against Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, the city police said that he stayed at a hotel in suburban Powai for two days in November 2008 ahead of the attacks, according to an official.

The Mumbai police's crime branch on Monday submitted the over 400-page chargesheet, the fourth in the case so far, before a special court hearing cases related to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Rana, currently under detention in the United States, faces multiple charges for his role in the Mumbai attacks and is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 strikes.

The chargesheet mentions that Tahawwur Hussain Rana came to India on November 11, 2008 and stayed in the country till November 21. During this period, he spent two days at the Renaissance Hotel in Powai, a senior official of the Mumbai police's crime branch said on Tuesday.

'We have found documentary evidence against Rana and some statements in which his role in the 26/11 conspiracy was established. The documentary evidence shows that Rana was actively involved in the conspiracy with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 strikes,' he said.

He (Rana) was the person who helped Headley get an Indian tourist visa with the help of fake documents, the official added.

Rana allegedly provided logistic support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba in carrying out the 26/11 terror attacks, he said.

'The crime branch has found email communications between Headley and Rana,' he said, adding that in one of the emails related to 26/11 terror attacks, Headley asked about Major Iqbal's email id, he said.

Major Iqbal, an operative of the Pakistani intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was named as accused in the 26/11 terror plot case, he said.

Meanwhile, a hearing on the cognisance of the chargesheet was scheduled to be held on Tuesday. However, it could not take place due to some technical issues. The matter will now come up for hearing on Wednesday.

Talking to media persons outside the court, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said that he would present a 'catalogue of evidence' against Rana to the judge.

'He (Rana) was deeply involved in the conspiracy of the attacks and his name was first revealed by David Headley,' he said.

Rana was also in touch with Pakistani army officials, Nikam added.

Headley, a Pakistan-born American national and LeT operative, is serving a 35-year jail term in a US prison for his role in the 26/11 terror attacks.

A total of 166 people were killed when 10 terrorists from Pakistan arrived by sea route on November 26, 2008, and laid a more than 60-hour siege in the financial capital during which they targeted the city's landmarks, a hospital and a Jewish centre, among other places.

Among the 10 terrorists was Ajmal Kasab, who was caught alive and later put on trial and sentenced to death by a special court.

He was hanged to death at Pune's Yerawada central prison in November 2012, two years after being held guilty in the case by the court.