A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in New Delhi has directed Tihar Jail authorities to consider a request by Tahawur Rana, an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack conspiracy case, seeking a cooler in his cell because of the prevailing heat.
Special Judge Prashant Sharma of the Patiala House Courts issued the direction after Rana wrote to the court complaining about the conditions in his cell. In his letter, Rana said poor hygiene in the cell was affecting his health and requested that jail authorities provide him with a cooler.
The court did not issue a direct order to install a cooler but asked jail authorities to examine the request in accordance with the jail manual.
Rana, who was extradited to India from the United States on April 10, 2025, is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack conspiracy case.
The court has also been dealing with matters related to Rana’s legal representation. Earlier, Rana submitted the names of lawyers of his choice to represent him. The special NIA court directed the National Investigation Agency to contact those advocates to ascertain whether they were willing to take up his defence.
Before that, the court had permitted Rana to speak with his family to facilitate the engagement of a lawyer of his choice.
Rana was initially represented by legal aid counsel Advocate Piyush Sachdeva. However, Sachdeva was discharged after Rana expressed his desire to appoint a lawyer of his own choosing.
Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian businessman and former military doctor, is accused of involvement in the conspiracy behind the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. He was extradited to India following legal proceedings in the United States and remains in judicial custody as the investigation and related court proceedings continue.
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