26/11 plotter Tahawwur Rana due for medical procedure at AIIMS next week

Rana, 65, is currently lodged in Jail 2, in a ward meant for high-risk prisoners in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. He is escorted to hospital by the Delhi Police’s Nayayik Abhiraksha Vahini (NAV), said sources.

“When he comes to the outpatient department (OPD) for his health check-ups, the South district police make adequate security arrangements, in coordination with the NAV. The NAV is responsible for ferrying Tihar inmates to court/ hospital,” said a source.

“Each time, Rana was transported under heavy police escort to the cardiology, general medicine, nephrology departments and the surgery ward. He was discharged the same day, after some hours of conducting tests. Now, after conducting multiple check-ups and tests, he has got a date for a medical procedure on May 4. The entire medical examination was conducted after taking permission from a Delhi Court regarding his health condition,” said the source.

Sources indicated that the ailments stem from age-related cardiac problems and hypertension. “Routine medical protocol was followed, but his history warrants close monitoring,” said a senior official who did not want to be named.

Prison officials cited “recurring health issues”, but provided no further details on his condition. “There are CCTV cameras installed in his cell to watch all activity and he remains on suicide watch 24×7. There are separate cooks for this cell. After food is prepared, the prison staff taste it before it is served,” said the source.

Rana is inmate number 1784. The block where he is being kept is less crowded than the others within the jail complex. “His neighbours are six other high-risk prisoners including dreaded gangsters and alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Mohammed Ahmed Zarar Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal. But each is in a separate cell, so there’s no interaction. The ward where he is being kept is a separate ward. No prisoner from the other wards is allowed to enter,” said a source in Tihar Jail.

A close associate of 26/11 Lashkar-e-Taiba scout David Coleman Headley, Rana was brought to India on April 10 last year after his extradition from the US. He is accused of aiding and abetting the reconnaissance carried out by Headley, with whom he went to school in Pakistan, for the 26/11 attacks and of participating in the conspiracy by providing crucial logistical support to the terrorists who attacked Mumbai.

Before his extradition, the Indian government had submitted multiple assurance letters to the US officials. “In one such assurance letter, the Indian government was asked for details about security arrangements and facilities in the jail where Rana would be kept. The Indian authorities had responded to four queries from US officials — about apprehension of torture in police custody, legal aid, security arrangements and facilities in Tihar Jail,” said the source.

Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security. Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat. During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. ... Read More

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