In a shocking revelation linked to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, investigators of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have uncovered that before the deadly assault on Mumbai, there was a sinister plan to target the National Defence College (NDC) in Delhi.
According to NIA sources, this chilling plot came to light during the interrogation of Tahawwur Rana — one of the key masterminds behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks — recently extradited from the United States and currently in the custody of NIA.
Sources said Rana, along with fellow conspirator David Coleman Headley, was involved in planning a high-profile strike on the NDC, with the objective of assassinating multiple Indian Army officers, including brigadiers and generals, gathered under one roof. “This plan, investigators believe, was devised with the support of two Pakistani Army officers — Major Abdul Rehman Pasha and Major Iqbal — who were part of Pakistan’s espionage wing ISI,” said an NIA officer.
NIA sources said Iqbal provided Headley with $25,000 to carry out surveillance of key Indian locations, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai. Among the other targets on their list were sensitive research institutions and national landmarks, including the NDC in Delhi. Headley, an US citizen, had reportedly received maps and layouts of several Indian locations from Iqbal during a meeting in Pakistan in 2006, where top leaders from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were also present.
Rana, a citizen of Canada with Pakistan origin had complete knowledge of the plot, helped Headley establish a fake identity in India under the guise of managing an immigration consultancy firm that Rana opened in Mumbai.
“This firm served as a front to conceal Headley’s real identity and facilitated his reconnaissance missions around the city, particularly near the Mumbai Port and the Taj Hotel. It was through this cover that Headley managed to survey possible entry points and key targets without raising suspicion,” said the NIA officer.
NIA sources further confirmed that in May 2008—just months before the attacks—Headley had revealed the detailed plan of the Mumbai operation to Rana, who reportedly laughed upon hearing it. Headley told him that the attackers would arrive by boat and land near the Taj Hotel. A week before the attacks, this strategy was re-discussed between the two.
Investigators are now tracking down individuals linked to the immigration consultancy and travel agency operated by Rana, suspecting that several employees may have ties to militant groups. Early findings suggest Rana visited terror training camps in Pakistan at least five times between 2002 and 2005. By late 2005, Headley had already been instructed by Lashkar to infiltrate India for espionage.
“Over the span of three years, Headley made five trips to India as directed by LeT. These visits played a crucial role in the success of the 26/11 attacks that left 166 people dead and hundreds injured,” said another officer of the central investigating agency.
Rana, who was flown to Delhi on a special flight after being handed over by US authorities last Thursday, had been remanded to 18 days in NIA custody. Interrogations at the agency’s headquarters are ongoing and have already revealed several explosive details. The NIA is continuing its efforts to gather further evidence to strengthen the case and expose the full extent of the terror network behind one of India’s worst attacks.
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