26/11 attacks accused Tahawwur Rana sent to 12-day NIA custody

A Delhi court on Monday allowed the National Investigation Agency's request to extend the custody of 26/11 Mumbai attacks suspect Tahawwur Hussain Rana for another 12 days. Rana was brought before special NIA judge Chander Jit Singh on the expiration of his 18-day NIA incarceration, under tight security and with his face masked.

Senior counsel Dayan Krishnan and special public prosecutor Narender Mann, who represented the NIA in an in-chamber procedure, made arguments in favor of custody. Rana is represented by Advocate Piyush Sachdeva of the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in this matter. During the arguments, the NIA stated that Rana's detention was necessary to put together the whole scale of the plot, and that he needed to be taken to several locations to retrace the events that occurred 17 years ago.

Last time, the court remanded Rana to NIA custody for 18 days, after which he was brought for further orders. In its most recent ruling, the judge asked the NIA to undertake a medical assessment of Rana every 24 hours and to enable him to speak with his lawyer on alternate days. The judge allowed Rana to use just a "soft-tip pen" and meet with his lawyer in the presence of NIA officers who would be out of earshot.