Tahawwur Rana, the Pakistani-born terrorist and mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, is expected to be extradited to India today, Wednesday. Security agencies have stepped up arrangements in Delhi and Mumbai prisons, ready to accommodate one of India’s most wanted terrorists.
Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian citizen, will be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as soon as he arrives. The agency will question him for a few weeks in custody.
Tahawwur Rana Aided Headley in Carrying out 26/11 Plot
Tahawwur Rana, a past Lashkar-e-Taiba member, had helped American terrorist David Coleman Headley, or Daood Gilani, carry out the 2008 Mumbai attack. He had also urged Pakistan to posthumously decorate the dead terrorists of the attack with the nation’s highest military honour.
According to court records in the US, Rana helped Headley travel to India and coordinated with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI. Documents also show that both had close ties with ISI officer Major Iqbal.
PM Modi’s US Visit Cleared the Path
In February, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US, then-President Donald Trump had already officially declared Rana’s extradition to India. The Indian government had been demanding his return since 2019.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval are keeping a direct watch on the extradition. Rana is now detained at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center. He was given 13 years of imprisonment in 2011 by an American court for conspiring.
Tahawwur Rana Remained in Mumbai Days Before Attack
Investigations indicated that Rana traveled to Mumbai from Dubai before the attack. He was residing at the Renaissance Hotel in Powai between November 11 and 21, 2008. Five days later, after he left, the city witnessed coordinated terrorist attacks.
26/11 Mumbai Attack: A Dark Chapter
On November 26, 2008, ten Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists entered Mumbai by sea route and wreaked havoc for four days. The attack killed 166 people, including 18 security officials, and left more than 300 injured. One of the terrorists, Ajmal Kasab, was arrested alive and subsequently hanged.
Rana’s extradition is a significant development in the 26/11 case, taking India one step closer to justice.
