New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday  filed a supplementary chargesheet outlining the role of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, in facilitating the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks

According to the chargesheet, Rana played a pivotal role in aiding Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, a known Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, by enabling his reconnaissance operations across Mumbai in the lead-up to the attacks.

“Rana was instrumental in facilitating the reconnaissance operations carried out by David Coleman Headley,” the NIA stated. He is accused of helping establish groundwork for the attacks by setting up a sham office in Mumbai--the Immigrant Law Centre--which posed as a legitimate business but had no real commercial activity.

Despite a lack of revenue or operations, the office remained functional for more than two years, allegedly serving solely to support Headley’s covert activities. It enabled Headley to carry out detailed surveillance of high-value targets across the city, including hotels, transportation hubs, and other public locations, which were later struck during the coordinated terrorist assault.

The NIA contends that Rana was part of a wider criminal conspiracy dating back to 2005, which involved other co-conspirators based in Pakistan. The stated aim of this network was to wage war against the Indian state by orchestrating acts of large-scale terror designed to undermine India’s sovereignty, integrity, and internal security.

The agency has pressed several serious charges against Rana under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including conspiracy to wage war against the country, murder, forgery, and various terrorism-related offences. Specifically, the charges fall under IPC Sections 120B, 121, 302, 468, and 471, along with Sections 16 and 18 of the UAPA.

After prolonged legal proceedings, Rana was extradited from the United States to India in early 2025, following the US Supreme Court’s rejection of his petition in January. He was taken into Indian custody on 10 April under a Non-Bailable Warrant issued by the Special NIA Court in Delhi--a development hailed as a significant breakthrough in the 26/11 case.

During custodial interrogation, Rana is reported to have made several important disclosures that have opened up fresh investigative leads. In pursuit of corroborative evidence, the NIA has submitted mutual legal assistance requests (MLATs) to the United States.

Officials close to the investigation believe the international cooperation will be key to unearthing the broader network behind the Mumbai attacks and collecting actionable intelligence against other conspirators. The NIA has confirmed that the case remains open, with further charges and evidence likely to be added as the probe progresses.