By Subhash Kamble
Mumbai, July 7: In an explosive confession made during his interrogation by Mumbai Crime Branch officials, 26/11 terror attack accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana has admitted to being a trusted operative of the Pakistan Army and revealed that he played a key role in the planning and execution of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. According to the reports, Tahawwur Rana told Mumbai Police officials that he was commissioned as a captain-doctor in the Pakistani Army after completing his MBBS from the Army Medical College in Rawalpindi in 1986. He was posted in sensitive military zones including Siachen, Sindh, Balochistan, and Bahawalpur. He claimed that during the Gulf War, he was sent on a secret mission to Saudi Arabia by the Pakistani military, a testament, he said, to the army鈥檚 trust in him. Tahawwur Rana, Key Accused in 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks, Brought to NIA Headquarters in Delhi for Interrogation After Special Court Grants 18-Day Custody. What Did Tahawwur Rana Reveal? Rana admitted that he was in Mumbai days before the attack, staying at a Powai hotel on November 20 and 21, 2008, before leaving for Beijing via Dubai. He confessed that his firm, Immigrant Law Centre, which operated an office in Mumbai, was set up specifically to provide cover for David Coleman Headley, the primary scout for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), to conduct surveillance on key targets such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The Canadian national of Pakistani origin also told police that he knew high-ranking Pakistani operatives involved in the attack’s planning, including Sajid Mir, Major Iqbal, and Abdul Rehman Pasha. He claimed Headley had attended multiple LeT training camps and described the group as operating more like a spy network, allegedly backed by Pakistan鈥檚 Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). What PM Narendra Modi Replied To Reporter on Question About Gautam Adani at Press Conference in US (Video). Tahawwur Rana Helped David Headley Rana admitted to forging documents to aid Headley鈥檚 travel and entry into India and blamed the Indian Embassy for issuing some of the documents used. He also reiterated that his role in the attack was part of a broader plan supported by Pakistan鈥檚 military establishment. Notably, Rana revealed that he was declared a deserter by Pakistan Army after developing a lung condition (pulmonary edema) during his posting in Siachen. He claimed that his involvement in the terror plot was, in part, driven by Headley鈥檚 promise to help clear his military record. As per the reports, Rana’s statements are consistent with the findings in a 405-page supplementary chargesheet filed by Mumbai Police in 2023, which documents his logistical and financial support for the attacks. At least 14 witnesses have reportedly confirmed his role. Rana is currently in NIA custody at Tihar Jail following his extradition from the United States earlier this year. He is being questioned in connection with multiple charges including conspiracy, terrorism, and murder in the 26/11 case, in which 166 people were killed across prominent locations in Mumbai.