Court reserves order on Rana petition to talk to family

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court reserved on Wednesday its order on a plea by Tahawwur Rana, a key conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, seeking permission to communicate with family members while in custody.

The court of special NIA judge Chander Jit Singh reserved the order after hearing arguments from both sides in in-camera proceedings. The order is likely to be pronounced Thursday.

Rana moved an application through his lawyers, legal aid counsels provided to him by Delhi State Legal Services Authority - advocates Piyush Sachdeva and Lakshya Dheer - claiming that it was his fundamental right to talk to his family, and that as a foreign national he has the basic right to speak with his family, who are worried about his condition in custody.

NIA argued that the probe against Rana was at a critical stage and permitting communication with family could jeopardise the ongoing proceedings. Agency officials, along with Narender Mann, the special public prosecutor in the case, opposed Rana's plea for talking to family members. NIA expressed concern Rana might reveal "sensitive information". tnn