26/11 chargesheet filed against Tahawwur Rana: Was in Mumbai hotel days before terror attack

Rana, 62, has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Indian Penal Code and Explosives Act among others. This is the fourth chargesheet in the 26/11 case.

Rana is currently under detention in the United States. In May, a US court had paved the way for his extradition to India, but Rana appealed against the order and sought a stay till his appeal is heard. The stay was granted last month.

“In the chargesheet, police have provided details like a scanned copy of his passport and other documentation that Rana had provided to the hotel in Powai, where he stayed between November 11-21, to prove that he left the country five days before the attacks,” said a senior police officer.

Tahawwur Rana is under detention

Asked about the delay in gathering evidence about Rana’s stay, the officer said: “While going through the paperwork, we found that one of the witnesses had spoken about meeting Rana in Mumbai in November 2008. We questioned him again and, based on further investigation, we found that he (Rana) had stayed for nearly 10 days in a five-star hotel in the city. The hotel had stored data digitally, and found that Rana had submitted a copy of his passport along with other details… These details were included in the chargesheet,” the officer said.

The officer said that after leaving Mumbai, Rana went to Dubai, from where he headed to China and eventually to Chicago.

E-mails sent from Headley to Rana are also part of the chargesheet, said the officer. “In one mail, he asks Rana what is to be done about Shiv Sena worker Rajaram Rege, whose help Headley had sought by claiming to be a tourist. In a second e-mail to Rana, he added the email address of ‘Major Iqbal’ from ISI, asking Rana to check with him regarding what was to be done with Rege. This proves that Rana was aware about the 26/11 attacks,” the officer said.

The officer said they have also added details about international trips taken by Headley and Rana together to prove their proximity.

Headley, a US citizen born to an American mother and a Pakistani father, was arrested by the US authorities in October 2009 and sentenced to 35 years in prison for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks.

According to the investigation, Rana’s consultancy firm, called First World Immigration Services, provided the cover for Headley to identify and mount surveillance on potential terror targets.