Tahawwur Hussain Rana, one of the main conspirators behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has made shocking claims, revealing that he was a trusted operative of the Pakistani Army and was sent on a secret mission to Saudi Arabia, said Mumbai Police sources on Monday.
Mumbai Crime Branch had questioned Tahawwur Rana, who is in NIA custody, in the case related to the 26/11 terror attack.
According to police sources, several details related to the case are already part of the official investigation record. A senior police officer mentioned that Tahawwur Rana remains mentally fixated on his earlier statements. He is giving information to the police but his way of talking also reflects his radical ideology, the officer noted.
What did Tahawwur Rana reveal?
Rana claimed he was a trusted operative of the Pakistani Army and was sent on a secret mission to Saudi Arabia during Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, highlighting his strategic importance to Pakistan's military.
He stated that he completed his MBBS from Army Medical College, Rawalpindi in 1986 and was then appointed as a Captain (doctor) in Quetta. Rana mentioned working in sensitive military regions of Pakistan, including Sindh, Balochistan, Bahawalpur, and the Siachen-Balotra sector.
He admitted to knowing key 26/11 conspirators like Abdul Rehman Pasha, Sajid Mir, and Major Iqbal, all linked to Pakistan and involved in the Mumbai attacks.
Rana is fluent in multiple languages, including Hindi, English, Arabic, and Pashto.
He revealed that David Headley, the other key accused, had attended three training courses with Lashkar-e-Taiba between 2003 and 2004. However, he does not remember the names of all the courses.
When asked about the Mumbai immigration centre, Rana claimed that it was his own idea, not Headley’s.
He also said that the money sent to Headley was intended for business expenses, but admitted there were difficulties in attracting clients at the Mumbai office.
Discussing his army career, Rana revealed that during his posting in Siachen, he suffered from pulmonary edema, leading to prolonged absence. This absence resulted in him being labeled a deserter and dismissed from service.
Police added that Rana appears to be well-informed about David Headley's court statements.
Tahawwur Rana's role in the 26/11 attacks
Tahawwur Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin, was a close associate of David Coleman Headley, the primary architect of the 26/11 attacks. Headley, a US citizen, was a key operative for the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which orchestrated the attack. Rana is alleged to have provided logistical support and funding for the attack, which killed 166 people and left over 300 others injured in a series of coordinated attacks on Mumbai's key landmarks, including two luxury hotels, a railway station, and a Jewish centre.
Rana's extradition from the United States came after a lengthy legal battle. On April 4, the US Supreme Court dismissed his review plea against the decision to extradite him to India to face charges related to the terror strike.
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