The conspirators of Mumbai 26/11 attacks, and where they are now

Today (November 26) marks the 14th anniversary of Mumbai terror attacks. The attacks on November 26, 2008, resulted in the deaths of 166 people, including police officers. 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists allegedly came from Pakistan, and attacked several places in the financial capital of India. The terrorists targeted Taj Hotel, Trident Hotel, Oberoi Palace, Nariman House, Leopold Cafe and Cama hospital. 

9 out of these 10 terrorists were gunned down. Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist who was caught alive was hanged to death in 2012.

Who were the main culprits and where are they now?

Hafiz Sayeed, head of LeT and chief of Jamaat ud Dawa was said to be the mastermind behind the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Though Pakistan government continued to to deny its role in the attacks, phone records of terrorists indeed showed that the calls to them were made from Pakistan.

Where is he now? In April 2022, Hafiz Saeed was sentenced to 31 years in jail by an anti-terror court in Pakistan. The court had also ordered all his assets to be seized and fined him for Rs 3,40,000.

• Saeed, who is now 70, has previously also been sentenced in multiple terror cases.
• In 2020, he was sentenced to jail for 15 years.
• He has spent years in and out of detention, but in Pakistan he had been roaming freely giving hate speeches against India.
• In 2019 also, he was arrested right before former Pakistan PM Imran Khan's visit to USA. At the time, Trump had tweeted that Saeed had been detained after 10-year search.

Sajid Mir: Sajid Majeed Mir, was another individual who was responsible for 26/11 terror attacks. US had placed a bounty of USD 5 million on his head for his role in the Mumbai terror attacks.

• In June 2022, Sajid was jailed for 15 years in a terror-financing case by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan
• Mir was wanted in India for his role in the 26/11 terrorist attacks that left 166 people dead, including six Americans. He was called the project manger of the Mumbai attacks.
• The FBI said that Mir had served as the chief planner of the attacks, directing the preparations and reconnaisance and was also one of the Pakistan-based controllers during the attacks.

Who was David Coleman Headley and what was his role in 26/11 attacks? David Coleman Headley was one of the US-Pakistani national who was suspected for his role in 26/11 attacks.

• Headley, 49, was arrested on October 3, 2009  in US and had since then cooperated with the US investigation agencies.
• On January 24, 2013, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison for a dozen federal terrorism crimes relating to the his role in planning the November 2008  terrorist attacks.
• On December 10, 2015, a Mumbai court had pardoned Headley for turning an approver or a proscecution witness in the 26/11 case. On February 15, 2016, in a vide linked deposition from the US, Headley made "disclosures and revelations" about the planning of 26/11 and his alleged role in the same.

What was Headley accused of? According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Headley had filmed various potential targets in Mumbai prior to 26/11, including those places which were attacked in 26/11 attacks.

• According to DOJ, Headley had changed his name from Daood Gilani to David Headley in order to appear as a non-Muslim American, after which he made five extendted trips to Mumbai in September 2006 and September 2007 and in April and July 2008. Each time, Headley was acused of making videotapes of various potential targets.
• Bollywood connection of Headley: After David Headley was arrested and sentenced to jail, Rahul Bhatt, son of filmaker Mahesh Bhatt, came forward and said that he knew and had met David Headley in Mumbai before the terror attacks.
• Media reports had said that Bhatt had spent nearly 1,000 hours with Headley. 
• Bhatt had claimed that he met Headley at his gym through gym instructor Vilas Warak. Rahul turned a witness in the case against Headley in 2009. 
• When asked about his connection with Headley, Rahul had said: "I never went to meet Headley, he came to me."

Where is he now? David Headley is currently serving a 35-year sentence in the United States after pleading guilty to 12 international terrorism charges.

Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi: He was the operations commander of the LeT group and was a UN-designated terrorist for his role in 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

• In January 2021, Lakhvi was arrested in Pakistan on terror financing charges. 
• He was sentenced to three concurrent five-year jail sentences.
• The court had found Lakhvi guilty of collecting and dispersing money for terrorist attacks by Lashjkar-e-Taiba.
• He is currently in Pakistani jail serving his sentence.

What Happened in 26/11 attacks ? 

The sequence of events:

November 26:  10 Lashkar terrorists arrived in Mumbai via a boat from Karachi, Pakistan. By late evening of November 26, 2008, reports of massive gunfire reported from CST station. Initial suspicion was of a gang war but later it was established that it was indeed a terror attack.

• The gunmen starting from CST station and Cama hospital moved towards the Taj Hotel. Four terrorists entered Taj Hotel, two entered the Trident Hotel while the other two entered Nariman House. 
• Kasab, along with other gunman whose name was reported as Ismail Khan, opened indiscriminate firing at CST station killing 58 people and injuring 100. On their way, they also ambushed and killed six police officials, including the Mumbai Anti-terror Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar and Ashok Kamte.
• The two gunmen then fleed in the car while they were intercepted by the Mumbai Police. Ismail Khan was killed in the attack while Kasab was caught alive.
• Constable Tukaram Ombale was also killed in the action.

November 27: Army soldiers and the Marine Commandos surrounded the hostage sites, the Taj, Trident and Nariman House. The NSG commandos launched the Operation Black Tornado.

November 28: The NSG commandos finished the operation at Nariman House and Trident.

November 29: The attacks finally came to an end as the NSG secured the Taj.

After the attacks, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and many others stepped down.