New Delhi: The return of Tahawwur Rana from the United States to India marks what many consider a landmark moment in the investigation of the 26/11 attacks, as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) interrogates him with primary attention on the terrorist blaze, though their inquiries will likely broaden to other offenses he may have aided.
Rana has openly admitted his involvement in the attacks and told investigators that he supported David Headley on every trip Headley made to India, helping him scout the sites targeted that night.
During the questioning, Rana supplied a wealth of detail, outlining both his personal role and the planning that unfolded in the weeks leading up to the assault.
An official involved in the probe clarified that while the 26/11 incident remains the immediate focus, authorities will also review evidence that could link Rana to other planned attacks across the country.
A key line of inquiry centers on the various states Rana visited. He has confessed to being in Mumbai when the attacks occurred; investigators are probing why he also travelled to other regions during that same period.
He didn’t limit his stops to Mumbai—documents and statements confirm visits to cities in both the north and south of India.
Another insider noted that, similar to Headley, Rana was in constant contact with Ilyas Kashmiri, the then‑alleged chief of Al Qaeda’s 313 Brigade. Their conversations revolved around the ambitious Ghazwa‑e‑Hind project—essentially a plan to wreak havoc across India.
In one of those chats, Kashmiri specifically urged Rana to recruit many young people from Kerala. Yet he also urged a wider national outreach, which explains Rana’s trips to Kochi, Agra, Delhi, Hapur, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai.
Investigators say these trips took place from 13 November to 21 November 2008, and the NIA will dig deeper into each stop.
Officials speculate that Rana was laying groundwork for the broader plot that Kashmiri set in motion. Concrete details of this large-scale scheme remain limited, as the NIA’s present focus is entirely on the 26/11 investigation.
“It is vital that we forge a watertight case so that the Pakistani establishment and its role in the attack are fully exposed,” an agency source added.
Among all the locations, particular scrutiny is on Rana’s Kochi visit. A source confirmed that his time in Kerala had nothing to do with reconnaissance.
Unlike Headley, Rana had no training for such missions. While in Kerala, he posed as an immigration consultant, and his attempts to establish fronts aimed at recruiting locals are currently under review.
Further, intelligence reports reveal he advertised in local newspapers, offering visa services to the United States and Canada—likely a cover to gather potential recruits under one umbrella.
Kerala also represented a strategic choice for Kashmiri, as this state was the first to receive an exception related to the Kashmir conflict in recruiting cadres.
In the Jammu and Kashmir region, the ISI has historically drawn either local citizens or Pakistani operatives for terror activities. A 2013 court convicted thirteen individuals for recruiting terrorists for camps in Kashmir, and in 2008 four locals were killed during an encounter. Notably, this was the initial instance of Lashkar‑e‑Taiba assembling non‑Pakistani, non‑Kashmiri fighters for operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Details beyond the 26/11 plot remain sketchy at present.
Once the Mumbai investigation reaches its conclusion, the broader scope of his agenda will be examined, the official continued.
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