New Delhi, April 10: Tahawwur Hussain Rana had targeted Haridwar Maha Kumbh, Pushkar Mela & had planned massive bloodshed at vital military instasllations, revealed investigation.
The mastermind of Mumbai attack, had not only planned but also had carried out a frantic reconnaissance at the Pushkar Mela in Rajasthan, to wreak a bloodshed here.
A close associate of 26/11 main conspirator David Coleman Headley, a US citizen, Rana is also learnt to have carried out reconnaissance at the Pushkar Mela in Rajasthan and also vital military instasllation in Cochin in southern India.
The details emerged as Rana, 64, landed in India to face justice for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attack, which left over 166 people dead.
Rana’s long-awaited extradition has been hailed by the diplomatic success carried out by the present government.
If reports aired on the revelation are believed, Rana had worked out a masterplan to target the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar and had carried out reconnaissance at the Pushkar Mela in Rajasthan, aiming a great terror attack.
Quoting Loknath Behera, former Inspector General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the report said that Rana recruited individuals and allegedly worked to recce key installations such as the naval command and shipyard in Cochin in southern India.
The Kumbh Mela is one of the biggest religious festival for the Hindus.At every Kumbh Mela, millions of Hindus take part in the celebrations. Tens of thousand gathered at the site, which also witnesses saints, priests, and yogis from all corners of India in huge numbers.
During 2003 Kumbh at Haridwar, to which Rana had made a blueprint to attack, more than 10 millions devotees had gathered at the holy shrine.
Thank god, Rana and his aides could not chalk out any attack, that could evade a horrific massacre at the shrine, considered elites.
Worth mentioning, Tahawwur Rana Rana, 64, was brought to India today, after as many as 16 years to the Mumbai attack as his last-ditch attempt to evade extradition was rejected by the US Supreme Court.
