Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has been extradited from the United States and will be landing in India on April 10 after exhausting all legal options in the US judicial system. Rana’s arrival in India, facilitated by a multi-agency team including the NIA and NSG, underscores a diplomatic triumph after 17 years of persistence.
According to sources, a special military plane is carrying Rana along with a team of NIA and NSG and is likely to land in the early hours of Thursday.
The US Supreme Court recently rejected Rana’s petition requesting a stay on his extradition, with the court’s order stating, “The application for stay addressed to the Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied.”
This marked the final blow to Rana’s efforts to avoid facing trial in India for his alleged role in the 26/11 attacks, which killed 166 people and injured over 300. Earlier in March, the US Supreme Court had similarly denied a parallel request, clearing the path for his extradition.
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Rana, in his plea before the US court, had argued that sending him to India would breach US laws and the UN Convention Against Torture, stating there are substantial grounds for believing that, if extradited to India, he (the petitioner) would be in danger of being subjected to torture.
“The likelihood of torture in this case is even higher though as petitioner faces acute risk as a Muslim of Pakistani origin charged in the Mumbai attacks,” the application stated.
According to sources, Rana is expected to land in New Delhi first and will be produced before the special NIA court at Patiala House tomorrow from where his transit remand will be taken if agencies want him to stay in Mumbai. Preparations have been made both at Delhi’s Tihar Jail and at Mumbai Jail as well.
As part of the investigation, Rana will also be taken to Mumbai. This is where the attacks were carried out and where his immigration company, First World International, had set up a branch - used by Headley as a front during his reconnaissance trips.
Wherever Rana will be placed, he will be housed under tight security, with his trial set to begin soon, potentially shedding new light on the 26/11 conspiracy hatched in Pakistan.
Once Rana is brought to India and presented in court, the agency may request his custodial interrogation, too. This will be the first occasion Indian authorities will question Rana.
His interrogation is expected to shed light on the role of state and non-state actors in Pakistan. Back in June 2010, when an NIA team went to the US to question David Coleman Headley, Rana was not interviewed.
Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian businessman, is accused of aiding Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Headley by providing logistical support, including a visa through his Chicago-based immigration firm, to scout targets in Mumbai.
After serving a 14-year sentence in the US for related terror charges though acquitted of directly supporting the Mumbai attacks, Rana was rearrested in 2020 following India’s extradition request.
The NIA has prepared a robust case, charging him with conspiracy, murder, and terrorism—offences that could carry life imprisonment or the death penalty.
India’s success in securing Rana’s extradition hinges on the 1997 India-US Extradition Treaty, which facilitates the transfer of fugitives for serious crimes.
