According to a report published by BBC Urdu on Sunday, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi – the prime suspect and alleged mastermind in the Mumbai attacks of 2008 – is living a life of comfort while being held in detention at Adiala Jail.

After a long drawn legal battle post-Mumbai attacks, Lakhvi had been granted bail by an Anti-terrorism court that was trying him, a day after the horrific Peshawar Army Public School massacre.

The ill-timed decision was met with outrage from the international community, especially India.

To read more: ATC approves bail of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in Mumbai attacks case

He was then detained by the government under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law.

Fast forward to today however, and, according to the BBC report, his detention remains highly unorthodox and suspect.

"He [Lakhvi] can receive any number of guests, any time of the day or night, seven days a week," a jail official told BBC.

It was further alleged in the report that inside his jail cell, Lakhvi enjoys the use of a television, mobile phone and internet access. Moreover, none of his visitors have to identify themselves to jail officials.

Background

 

Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, now 55, hails from the Okara district of Punjab - the same place as Ajmal Kasab, one of the gunmen in the Mumbai attacks.

It is reported he joined the Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith (JAH) in 1990, eventually graduating to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), an armed militant outfit alleged to be active in Indian administered Kashmir.

At the time of the Mumbai attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of by-then banned LeT that had been accused by India of planning and executing the atrocity.