New Delhi: Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has been brought to India and arrested upon arrival in Delhi. Extradited from the United States on a special flight, he will now face trial under Indian law.
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Tahawwur Rana, 64, was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after landing in Delhi’s Palam technical area. His extradition flight had departed from Los Angeles.
Following initial formalities, he is expected to be taken to the NIA headquarters and presented before the Patiala House court.
Authorities may transfer him to Delhi’s high-security Tihar Jail and potentially move him to Mumbai at a later stage for trial, sources indicated.
Rana faces serious charges including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Indian state, murder, forgery, and violations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
His extradition came after a high-level meeting involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Amit Shah called the move a “major diplomatic victory” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The extradition follows US President Donald Trump’s announcement during PM Modi’s recent US visit that his administration had approved Rana’s extradition, labeling him “very evil.”
A Canadian national of Pakistani descent, Rana resided in Chicago and is accused of facilitating the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. He allegedly provided logistical and financial support to David Coleman Headley, the main accused.
As per the chargesheet, Rana helped Headley establish the Immigrant Law Centre in Mumbai, which served as a front for conducting surveillance. Headley visited several Indian cities under this guise, while Rana himself had also visited India shortly before the attacks.
Rana was arrested in Chicago in 2009 by the FBI for aiding a foiled plot to attack a Danish newspaper and supporting the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, which orchestrated the Mumbai attacks. He was convicted in 2011.
Rana fought his extradition in US courts, citing severe health issues like an abdominal aortic aneurysm, Parkinson’s disease with cognitive decline, and suspected bladder cancer. However, the courts rejected his appeal, allowing the extradition process to proceed.
The 2008 Mumbai attacks, which targeted landmarks including luxury hotels, a railway station, and the Jewish Chabad House, were carried out by 10 gunmen. Only one, Ajmal Kasab, was captured alive and later executed in 2012. India holds Lashkar-e-Taiba responsible for the carnage.
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