US Supreme Court’s Decision On Accused Tawahhur Rana’s Petition Strengthens Prosecution Efforts

Mumbai: The U.S. Supreme Court’s ejection of the review petition filed by terrorist Tawahhur Rana (64), who is wanted by the Mumbai police in connection with the 26/11 terror attacks, will help prosecute a key accused.

Special public prosecutor Ujwal Nikam, who played a crucial role in getting Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab convicted and hung for his role in the attacks, told the FPJ on Saturday that “The U.S. court’s decision is a major victory for us. His interrogation will throw more light on the international conspiracy.”

Nikam said Rana and his associate David Headly were acting at the behest of the Pak-based terror group, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba led by Hafeez Saeed and Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi. Strangely enough, the U.S. had only given access to Indian investigators to question Headly in a local prison but refused his extradition.

But more importantly, the Indian government has not been able to lay its hands on globally-designated Karachi-based terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, who is working for Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), had played a major role in executing the 26/11 terror strikes.

The U.S. Army’s think-tank, Strategic Studies Institute, had in an article authored by Dr Ryan Clarke had clearly mentioned about Dawood’s role. Strangely, this particular article has been deleted from the Institute’s website.

What is mysterious is that the Indian government is doing precious little to decimate Dawood’s economic empire in India. He has major interests in Mumbai’s real estate, stock and commodity trading and other industries. The failure of the authorities to act against him is best illustrated by the case of Heman Jain, a U.P.-based businessman who successfully bid 23 years ago for one of the don’s properties off Shuklaji Street in central Mumbai.

The property was among the many auctioned by the Income Tax department to recover dues from the absconding don. After considerable struggle, Jain was able get the property document registered last month at the Tardeo office of the sub-registrar. Since then he has been pleading with the Mumbai police to provide him security so that he can take possession of the shop.

In the past fortnight he had made two visits to Mumbai and begged the police to help him get possession, but in vain. He was made to run from pillar to post and on Thursday he returned to his hometown, Bulandshahr. Someone is operating an engineering workshop in the shop and is refusing to vacate the place. Given this attitude of the police, there is no way in which Jain can get hold of the Don’s property.