The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is considering taking a voice sample from Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian businessman, to investigate his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. According to a report, Rana is currently in NIA custody after being extradited from the United States.
The voice sample would help investigators check if Tahawwur Rana was giving any instructions over the phone during the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people. To do this, they will match his voice with recorded phone calls made during the attacks.
To collect the voice sample, Rana’s consent is needed. If he refuses, the NIA can ask a court for permission to make him provide it. If he still denies it, the refusal will be mentioned in the chargesheet, which could go against him in court.
If allowed, forensic experts from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) will come to the NIA office to collect the voice sample in a soundproof room.
Since arriving from the U.S. on Thursday, Tahawwur Rana has been kept at the NIA headquarters in the CGO Complex. During his 18-day interrogation, officers are focusing on a few key points:
- A person Rana met in Dubai before the attacks.
- Why the office lease for his immigration agency in Mumbai wasn’t renewed. This office was used by David Headley, one of the main planners of the attacks, to scout out locations like hotels and public spots in Mumbai.
The NIA is also trying to learn more about the involvement of Pakistani nationals like Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman, and whether Tahawwur Rana had any links to them. Other key figures such as Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Sajid Majeed Mir are also being looked into.
So far, Rana has not been very cooperative. On the first day, he shared only limited information. He told officials about his background in Pakistan, his immigration to Canada, and the opening of his immigration and travel agency in Chicago. He also said he was in Mumbai at least a week before the attacks, although he claims to have trouble remembering the exact timeline.
Back in 2010, David Headley (also known as Daood Gilani) was questioned in the U.S. by the NIA and later convicted for his role in the 26/11 attacks.
