In a major development in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused and alleged mastermind behind the deadly 2008 attacks, has been extradited to India. An aircraft carrying the Pakistani-Canadian businessman landed in Delhi on Thursday evening, marking a crucial step in India’s long-standing legal pursuit.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) confirmed the successful extradition, calling it the result of “years of sustained and concerted efforts to bring the key conspirator to justice.” Rana’s return comes after the United States Supreme Court in January 2024 rejected his plea challenging the extradition order, clearing the final legal hurdle.
Rana, 64, was previously arrested by the FBI in 2009 in Chicago for providing material support for terror plots in Mumbai and Copenhagen. He was convicted in 2013 in the Denmark plot case. However, he managed to delay his extradition in the Mumbai case for over a decade by moving through multiple levels of the American judicial system. In May 2023, a US district court ordered his extradition, which he challenged up to the Supreme Court without success.
Rana is considered a close associate of David Coleman Headley, another key conspirator in the 26/11 attacks. The attacks, carried out by the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, resulted in the deaths of 166 people and left over 230 injured. High-profile sites such as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel were targeted during the multi-day siege.
According to officials, Rana will likely be housed in a high-security ward of Delhi’s Tihar Jail. A multi-agency Indian team had traveled to the US to escort him back. Authorities have completed all necessary security preparations ahead of his arrival.
The extradition marks a significant victory for Indian law enforcement. “Bringing Rana to India would mean a key co-conspirator could finally face the Indian criminal justice system,” a senior official from the Ministry of Home Affairs said.
Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only attacker captured alive during the 26/11 strikes, was hanged in 2012 in Pune’s Yerawada Jail. With Rana’s arrival, Indian investigators are expected to further unravel the international dimensions of the terror plot.
Sources By Agencies
