New Delhi, Nov 25 Officers who were part of the Mumbai 26/11 attack probe say that it was and continues to be one of the most complicated investigations, as while the Pakistan angle to the attack is loud and clear, some major mysteries remain.
A major question that was asked after the attack was whether the ten terrorists could have carried out an attack with such ease without the help of locals.
There was talk that a woman had accompanied the terrorists to the Lady Cama hospital on that fateful night.
This information was passed on to the Ram Pradhan Committee, but was never probed.
The committee was set up to look into the lapses in the security mechanism and also give suggestions on how to better the police force so that they are better equipped to handle a situation similar to this.
During the hearing, a complaint was made to the committee about a burqa-clad woman who is said to have guided the terrorists to the Lady Cama hospital.
Further, the committee was also told that the terrorists had not arrived in Mumbai on the day of the attack, and this woman is said to have sheltered them a few days before the attack.
The committee could not officially take it up since it was not part of its brief.
The Central government, at that time, was informed about it, but the issue was never taken up.
Officials say that this lady may have been part of the diesel smuggling racket and was closely linked to the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate. All these factors were not considered during the probe, and it was concluded that the terrorists had acted on their own without any local assistance.
Questions were also asked if David Headley had acted alone during his multiple visits to Mumbai. He did befriend some influential people during his stay in Mumbai. However, this was done so that it could create a cover for him during his multiple visits to the Taj Mahal Hotel and Trident-Oberoi.
What is interesting is that when Headley carried out the reconnaissance of the Taj, he had more details than the authorities.
One particular stairway inside the hotel was used repeatedly by the terrorists to move between the floors. During the first part of the operation, some of the security agencies were not even aware of such a stairway, as it did not show up on the map. It was some of the staff who eventually informed the officials about this stairway. The lack of knowledge about this stairway is what led to the initial delay in the operation and also the huge loss of lives inside the hotel.
Another mystery man in this entire exercise is one identified as Basheer. Every time Headley landed in Mumbai, he was received by Basheer. Even Headley had confessed to being received by this person when he landed in the city.
Despite his confession about Basheer, not much is known about him or his role, since this angle was never investigated.
The NIA is likely to focus on this aspect when they interrogate Tahawwur Rana, who is in their custody at present.
An official said that each angle should be investigated thoroughly without any aspect being left out. It is important for the case, and only if this is done will be bring about real closure.
While probing the extent to which the Pakistan establishment was directly involved in the attack, it is also important to look at the local links. Many who may have been part of this attack are still walking free, and it is important to bring these people to justice. After all, they were part of one of the biggest conspiracies against the nation, another official said.
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