New Delhi, April 12, 2025 – Tahawwur Rana, the Pakistan-born mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has been placed on suicide watch in a high-security NIA cell in Delhi, just days after his extradition from the US on Thursday. Facing a grueling 18-day interrogation over his Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) role, Rana’s confined to a 10×8-foot room—given only a soft-tip pen to jot notes after “erratic behavior” raised alarms, per NDTV.
Rana, 64, landed at 2 AM Thursday, shackled and under SWAT guard, now likely at Tihar Jail’s isolated wing (Hindustan Times). His 231 calls with LeT plotter David Headley—bankrolling Mumbai recces for the 60-hour siege that killed 166—have NIA sleuths digging for ISI and Dubai links (The Indian Express). “He’s cracking under pressure,” a source told The Hindu, noting Rana’s restricted to cotton clothes, no sharp objects, and 24/7 CCTV—standard for high-risk detainees since Ajmal Kasab’s 2009-12 stint.
The watch isn’t routine—Rana’s remarks about “Indians deserved it” and pushing Pakistan’s Nishan-e-Haider for LeT gunmen, per US DoJ intercepts, hint at defiance (Times of India). Yet, Headley’s 2016 depo paints him cornered—NIA’s banking on that. “No luxuries, just questions,” an officer said. Posts on X rage, “Keep him alive to spill!”—others fear a dodge: “Suicide’s too easy.” Mumbai’s 26/11 scars—$1.5 billion in damages (The Economic Times)—demand answers, not an out.
