After Years of Legal Battles, 26/11 Key Accused Tahawwur Rana Extradited to India

In a significant diplomatic and investigative development, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a primary accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, was successfully extradited to India from the United States. The 64-year-old Canadian citizen of Pakistani descent arrived in Delhi on Thursday evening, traveling aboard a special aircraft with National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials and US Sky Marshals.

Rana's arrival marks a pivotal moment in India’s continued efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Following his arrival, he was formally arrested. The NIA confirmed the extradition, describing it as the culmination of years of sustained efforts in coordination with both Indian and US agencies.

In a statement, the NIA acknowledged the crucial assistance of the US Department of Justice, US Sky Marshals, and Indian authorities, including the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and other intelligence agencies, in securing Rana’s extradition.

Rana had been held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles, where he exhausted all legal avenues to avoid being extradited. A US district court approved his extradition in May 2023, and his appeals in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and US Supreme Court were denied.

Rana is accused of conspiring with David Coleman Headley (also known as Daood Gilani), operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) to plan the deadly Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people and injured over 230. Investigators allege that Rana provided Headley with cover through his Chicago-based firm, allowing Headley to conduct reconnaissance for the attacks.

The NIA is particularly focused on Rana’s travels across multiple Indian cities, including Delhi, Agra, Kochi, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai, between November 13 and 21, 2008, with his wife, Samraz Rana Akhtar. His extradition is expected to offer new leads in the investigation and reveal further details of the broader terror network behind the attack.

Top NIA officials have already initiated the next phase of the investigation, with interrogations expected to provide critical insights into the 26/11 conspiracy and its connections to Pakistani state actors.

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