NIA Suspects 26/11 Conspirator Tahawwur Rana Is Faking Illness to Evade Truth

In a case that continues to haunt India’s counterterrorism agencies, 26/11 conspirator Tahawwur Rana has once again come under the spotlight—this time for what investigators believe is a clever tactic to dodge justice. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), currently interrogating Rana following his extradition from the United States, suspects that his long list of health issues—including Parkinson’s disease and 32 other medical conditions—is being used as a smokescreen to feign memory loss and avoid answering crucial questions about the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Although Rana appears frail and often claims fatigue during questioning, NIA officers believe otherwise. “He looks tired, but his mind is alert and calculating,” an official familiar with the case remarked. This belief is strengthened by how he handles legal procedures—demanding specific legal representation, asserting his rights under the U.S. Constitution, and requesting court-appointed lawyers who are not media-savvy. These, investigators argue, are not the actions of someone struggling with mental clarity.

Rana’s links to the 26/11 attacks are deep and disturbing. A Pakistani-Canadian national, he is known to have collaborated with David Coleman Headley—his associate and another key plotter of the attacks. Both were accused of helping Pakistan-based terror groups and the ISI plan and execute the assault that left 166 people dead across Mumbai. The terrorists targeted iconic sites including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Nariman House, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

One fact raising serious suspicion is Rana’s earlier travel history. NIA is closely scrutinizing his movements across India in 2008—especially his stays in Delhi, Hapur, Agra, and notably, Mumbai. He had even stayed at the Taj Hotel with his wife, Samraz Rana Akhtar, just months before it was attacked. The couple also visited Kochi and Ahmedabad, and officials are probing whether these visits were part of a reconnaissance mission for future attacks.

The agency is especially interested in discovering the identity of a mysterious aide known only as “B,” who allegedly helped Rana during his India trips. Furthermore, investigators are trying to gather more details about his Indian in-laws and whether they unknowingly—or knowingly—played any role in facilitating his plans.

Despite being questioned daily for about three hours, Rana has shown an unusual level of legal awareness. He invoked the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects against self-incrimination and guarantees due process. His American lawyer earlier argued against his extradition, claiming that putting him on trial again in India after being acquitted of similar charges in the U.S. would violate legal principles.

Even so, Indian authorities are not buying the defense narrative. Rana is undergoing medical checkups every 48 hours, but officials remain skeptical. “There seems to be a pattern,” said a senior investigator. “The illness card is being used to slow down questioning and mask selective amnesia.”

Going forward, the NIA may seek court permission to take Rana to other cities he visited in 2008. These trips could help piece together missing links—especially those related to funding channels, sleeper cells, and operational support systems embedded in India.

Now 64, Tahawwur Rana’s fate may still hang in the balance, but one thing is clear: India’s security agencies are determined not to let time or tactics blur the truth behind one of the country’s most horrific terrorist attacks.