26/11 charge-sheet: Tahawwur Rana asked hotel staff about crowded places during stay in Mumbai

Tahawwur Rana, the 26/11 terror attacks co-conspirator. File pic

The 405-page supplementary charge sheet filed against 26/11 co-conspirator and Canadian national Tahawwur Rana has revealed that he discussed potentially crowded places in Mumbai with a hotel staff in Powai. Rana visited some of these places, including an eventual site of the attacks, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai.

According to the Mumbai Crime Branch, they discovered fresh details, including Rana's travel history, which were included in the supplementary charge sheet. The police found that Rana stayed at a hotel in Powai in November 2008, where he submitted a copy of his passport and visa.

The hotel maintained these records. An officer said, "During his stay, Rana discussed crowded places in the city with the staff of the hotel where he was staying. Some of the places discussed were later targeted by the attackers, including CSMT."

Furthermore, police revealed email exchanges between Rana and David Coleman Headley. Headley asked Rana about Shiv Sena worker, Rajaram Rege, whom he had sought assistance from during his Mumbai visit. In his response, Rana advised Headley to consult Major Iqbal, one of the 26/11 handlers from Pakistan, regarding Rege.

The Crime Branch had earlier recorded Rege's statement. Rege had confirmed that Headley met him near Shiv Sena Bhavan. He assumed that Headley was a tourist and sought to visit the Bhavan and Matoshree.

On Tuesday, the Mumbai Crime Branch submitted an application for a non-bailable warrant against Rana, who is currently incarcerated in a California jail in the US. He has been deemed eligible for extradition to India, but Rana has challenged this order in a higher court, causing delays in the extradition process. "We have submitted a supplementary charge sheet against Rana who is currently in California, US. He has challenged his extradition to India in the court in the US. But his case won't stand before the court. He will soon be extradited to India," said Ujjwal Nikam, special public prosecutor.