Mumbai’s Jal Vayu Vihar Was Also a 26/11 Target, Says Author — Tahawwur Rana Was Involved

MUMBAI: Jal Vayu Vihar, a quiet housing colony in Powai for retired Air Force and Navy officers, was one of the targets planned during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, according to journalist and author Sandeep Unnithan.

Unnithan, who wrote the book Black Tornado: The Three Sieges of Mumbai 26/11, shared on X (formerly Twitter) that Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the case, had stayed in a Powai hotel before the attacks to survey the colony. This information came from David Headley — Rana’s friend and another main accused — during his confession in 2010.

“In 2010, two years after the attacks, Jal Vayu Vihar saw a sudden arrival of a Mumbai Police SWAT team and an armoured vehicle. That vehicle stayed there for nearly two years. I later found out the reason,” Unnithan wrote.

Unnithan’s parents lived in Jal Vayu Vihar. Many residents, including his father, were veterans of the 1971 India-Pakistan war. One of them was even present during the historic surrender in Dhaka.

“Rana, who once served in the Pakistan Army, told Headley that he wanted to kill these war veterans to take revenge for Pakistan’s defeat in 1971,” Unnithan said.

However, the terrorists dropped the plan because Jal Vayu Vihar was too far — over 30 km — from their landing point in South Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade.

“Even though this target was skipped, over 160 innocent people were killed by attackers supported by Pakistan’s ISI and terrorist groups. It was a time of helplessness for us — a weak state versus a powerful terror network,” Unnithan added.

Now, Tahawwur Rana has been extradited from the US and will face trial in India. Unnithan also shared that his father recently celebrated his 80th birthday at the same Powai hotel where Rana had stayed during his survey.

“Things have changed now. India is no longer weak. Rana is being brought back to face justice. He will spend his life in jail. His bosses in Pakistan are scared. And my father? He’s doing well and just turned 80 — at that same hotel,” Unnithan said.