Court seeks response from Tihar, NIA on Tahawwur Rana’s plea to speak with family

A Delhi court on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) sought a response from Tihar Jail authorities and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on a plea filed by 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana, who has approached the court seeking permission for a telephonic conversation with his family.

Special NIA judge Chander Jit Singh also allowed a separate plea by Mr. Rana seeking directions to provide a bed in prison.

Opposing the request, the Tihar jail authorities cited the jail manual, which permits beds only for inmates aged 65 or above. Mr. Rana has not yet attained the age of 65.

However, Mr. Rana’s counsel, advocate Piyush Sachdeva, submitted that the accused is 64 years and six months old and suffers from medical conditions that warrant special consideration.

The NIA informed the court that it has submitted Mr. Rana’s complete medical history to the jail authorities.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on July 25.

Extradited from the United States on April 10, Mr. Rana, 64, is facing trial in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which left more than 166 people dead.

The NIA, which is investigating the case, has charged Mr. Rana with conspiring in the attacks along with his associate David Headley. Headley, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, is accused of conducting planning and reconnaissance for the attacks at the behest of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed.