The Canadian government has initiated proceedings to revoke the citizenship of Tahawwur Rana Hussain, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, according to reports on Monday.
This move comes ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India on February 26, as the two countries seek to mend bilateral ties that had been strained under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Rana, 64, is a Pakistan-born Canadian national and a close associate of David Coleman Headley, a US citizen and one of the primary conspirators behind the attack. Rana is currently in Indian custody, awaiting trial on charges related to the attack.
However, Canada’s decision to revoke his citizenship is not linked to terrorism charges but to allegations of misrepresentation.
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) discovered that Rana had lied on his citizenship application in 2000. He claimed to have lived in Ottawa and Toronto for the four years prior, with only a six-day absence from the country.
Investigations revealed, however, that he had spent nearly the entire period in Chicago, where he owned several properties and businesses, including an immigration firm and a grocery store.
"Yours is a case in which it appears that you misrepresented your residence in Canada during the application process for citizenship by deliberately failing to declare your absences from Canada," the IRCC wrote to Rana, notifying him about its intention to strip him of his citizenship.
A spokesperson for the immigration department told Global News that revoking citizenship for misrepresentation is a crucial tool to maintain the integrity of Canadian citizenship.
The matter is now being heard in federal court, which will make the final decision on Rana’s citizenship.
Meanwhile, Carney is set to visit Mumbai on Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business leaders. Canada and India moved last year to advance a trade deal following two years of strained relations.