Rana 'talking' as money trail in questioning focus

Tahawwur Rana, the 64-year-old accused of playing a key role in planning the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is "talking" in what have become intense interrogation sessions that lasted close to 10 hours on Saturday, officials aware of the matter said, and added that the most recent focus of investigators were his connections to Pakistani handlers and terror outfits.

- Neeraj Chauhan

Rana, a Pakistani-born Canadian citizen, is only the second person to stand trial in India for the attacks that killed 166 people and injured 238 others. His interrogation, which is being videographed, focuses on "his conversations with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), army and ISI handlers of Headley based in Pakistan, before and after the attacks," according to a senior official.

"These are operational details which cannot be shared as investigation is at a crucial stage," said an officer requesting anonymity, while confirming that Rana is cooperating with interrogators.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and central intelligence agencies have been questioning Rana since his extradition from the US last Thursday, marking the first time Indian authorities have in custody a mastermind of the 2008 attacks.

The extensive questioning covers the entire conspiracy hatched around 2005 when Headley was directed by LeT to conduct reconnaissance in India.

A special court in Delhi granted the NIA 18 days' custody after Rana was brought to India on a special aircraft, a Gulfstream G550, that first stopped in Dubai before landing in Delhi at around 6pm on Thursday. "If required, Rana's further custody will also be sought after 18 days," the officer said, adding that procedures are being followed just as they would be for other arrested individuals.