New Delhi: Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, was extradited from the United States and arrived in India on Thursday afternoon.
Upon his arrival at Delhi’s Palam technical area at approximately 2:50 PM, Rana was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and is set to face trial in a special NIA court.
Rana (63), a Pakistani-born Canadian national, is accused of orchestrating the deadly 26/11 Mumbai attacks that claimed 166 lives. His extradition follows years of diplomatic and legal efforts to bring him to justice. A special flight carrying Rana landed at Palam Airport earlier in the evening. He had been held in judicial custody in the U.S. during legal proceedings initiated under the India-U.S. Extradition Treaty. According to the NIA, Rana exhausted all legal avenues in an attempt to block his extradition before the move was finalized.
His extradition comes after the United States Supreme Court dismissed his final appeal, paving the way for his handover to Indian authorities. Upon landing, he was immediately arrested by NIA officials and is expected to be presented before a designated court, likely at Patiala House. Given the sensitivity of the case, high-level security measures have been implemented, and Rana is expected to be lodged in Tihar Jail under strict surveillance. Access to him will be limited to senior NIA officials, including Director General Sadanand Date and Inspector General Ashish Batra.
Initially scheduled to be tried in Mumbai, the trial has now been shifted to Delhi. Case files have been formally transferred to the court of District Judge Vimal Kumar Yadav. Investigators will interrogate Rana using a range of evidence, including emails, voice recordings, and photographs, particularly regarding his alleged association with David Headley—a Pakistani-American operative who conducted reconnaissance missions prior to the 26/11 attacks. Authorities are also examining Rana’s purported links to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Lashkar-e-Taiba handler Sajid Mir.
Legal proceedings against Rana were initiated in the U.S. following an extradition order from the District Court for the Central District of California on May 16, 2023. Despite filing multiple appeals in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, including petitions for a writ of certiorari, habeas corpus applications, and emergency motions before the U.S. Supreme Court, all were rejected. With India’s successful acquisition of a surrender warrant, the extradition process was completed with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Sky Marshal, and coordination among multiple Indian intelligence agencies, including the National Security Guard (NSG).
Rana is accused of conspiring with David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, along with operatives from designated terrorist organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami, as well as other Pakistan-based co-conspirators. Both LeT and HUJI have been declared terrorist organizations by the Government of India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
In a related development, the Union Home Ministry has appointed Advocate Narender Mann as the Special Public Prosecutor to oversee Rana’s trial and related proceedings. Mann will represent the NIA in the Special Court in Delhi as well as appellate courts for a three-year term, as per an official gazette notification.
Rana’s extradition represents a major milestone in India’s efforts to bring all perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks to justice.
