Rana visited Taj Mahal last November

After Mumbai, Kochi, and Ahmedabad, intelligence agencies have traced the link of Lashkar- e- Tayyeba (LeT) operative Tahawwur Hussain Rana to West Uttar Pradesh, reports Rajesh Kumar Singh.

After Mumbai, Kochi, and Ahmedabad, intelligence agencies have traced the link of Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) operative Tahawwur Hussain Rana to West Uttar Pradesh.

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Police on Friday confirmed that Rana, an aide of David Headley arrested by the FBI for plotting terror attacks in India and Denmark, visited Hapur, Meerut, Ghaziabad and Agra in November 2008. The sleuths of the National Investigation Agency and UP Anti Terrorist Squad have picked up a few persons at Hapur for interrogation.

Rana stayed at a house in Hapur and the occupants claim to be related to him. After three days, he left for Agra and stayed in a hotel. The fact that Rana often visited Taj Mahal and its surroundings have sent the officials into a tizzy.

“We are trying to find out if the monument of love attracted Rana or he had some ulterior motive” the police officer said, adding that the Intelligence Bureau has alerted the state government that Pakistan-based terror groups might target tourist and religious spots. “Rana might have conducted recce of Taj and passed the information to LeT”, he said.

“He was also in meat business and might have developed links in this region, as the biggest slaughterhouses that export meat to Middle East and Europe are located in Meerut.”