New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday questioned Tahawwur Rana, a key conspirator in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, after taking him into custody following his extradition from the US.

According to sources, investigators are focusing on three main areas during the interrogation: Rana’s role in planning the 26/11 attacks, his connections with terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, and his alleged ties to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. Rana, 64, landed in Delhi on Thursday evening on a special flight and was immediately placed under arrest by the NIA.

In a late-night hearing, he was presented before a special court at Patiala House, which granted his custodial remand to the anti-terror agency until April 29. A 12-member team of NIA officers led by DIG Jaya Roy, who played a prominent role in securing Tahawwur Rana’s extradition from the US, has been tasked with the interrogation.

During this custody period, the NIA plans to conduct comprehensive interrogations of Rana to elucidate the full extent of the conspiracy that led to the deaths of 166 people and injured over 238 during the Mumbai attacks. Eight other agencies have also reached out the NIA seeking to question the plotter. Investigators will also seek details on who was funding Rana, his connections to sleeper cells, and the identities of his business associates.

Authorities are looking into whom he may have funded in India and the individuals who assisted David Headley, one of the prime conspirators of the 26/11 attacks, during his visits to the country. The NIA sought 20-day remand, stating that Rana’s custodial interrogation is crucial to unravelling the full scope of the conspiracy behind the coordinated attacks carried out by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives on November 26, 2008. In its submission, the agency cited clinching evidence, including email records, to support its plea for custody. However, the court granted custody for 18 days. It also asked Rana if he wished to appoint a lawyer or avail court-appointed legal aid.