By Sushil Batra

New Delhi [India], May 1 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has informed the court that Hafiz Mohd Saeed remains one of the accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, with the affiliated terrorist organisation continuing its activities against India.

This statement was made as the agency sought the remand of Tahawwur Rana.

The NIA further argued that, while Rana has already been confronted with substantial material, a significant amount of documents and evidence still require examination.

Given the accused's health condition, the agency emphasised that the interrogation is being conducted in a measured manner and not for 20 hours daily, as claimed by the defence.

The prosecution also highlighted concerns regarding Rana's lack of cooperation in the investigation. Coupled with the vast scope and global dimension of the alleged conspiracy, wherein the accused moved between countries before orchestrating attacks on India, the agency asserted that its request for extended police custody is justified.

A review of the case diary suggests that the NIA has been conducting the investigation diligently, noted the court.

The Special NIA Court on Wednesday allowed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to obtain voice and handwriting samples of 26/11 mastermind Tahawwur Rana. Currently in NIA custody, Rana was recently extradited to India from the United States.

On Monday, the same Court has extended the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) custody of Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, for a further 12 days.

During the hearing, the NIA informed the court that Rana had been confronted with a substantial volume of records and evidence related to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The agency argued that further custody was necessary to complete his interrogation.

While seeking an extension of his remand, the NIA argued that Rana had been evasive during questioning and was not cooperating with the investigation. The agency emphasised the need for further custodial interrogation to extract crucial information related to his alleged involvement in the attacks.

In the legal proceedings concerning Tahawwur Rana, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was represented by Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan and Special Public Prosecutor Narender Mann. On the other hand, Advocate Piyush Sachdeva, from Legal Services, defended Rana in the matter.

However, Rana's counsel opposed the extension of his remand, contending that additional custodial interrogation was unwarranted.

Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin, was extradited from the United States earlier this month in connection with his purported role in the deadly 2008 terror strike on Mumbai. Following his extradition, he was placed under the NIA's custody in New Delhi, where investigators continue to probe his suspected links to the perpetrators of the attacks.

The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, orchestrated by the Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed the lives of over 170 people and left hundreds injured. Rana's extradition and subsequent interrogation are part of India's ongoing efforts to bring all conspirators of the attacks to justice. (ANI)