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In a major development in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, key accused Tahawwur Rana is set to arrive in India on Wednesday evening after being extradited from the United States. A high-level team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), led by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG)-rank officer, is overseeing the operation under the guidance of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
According to reports, special facilities are being prepared in line with US judicial recommendations on the handling of extradited individuals. These security measures include dedicated holding cells in Delhi and Mumbai’s high-security jails, where Rana may be held following initial NIA custody.
Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national, is a known member of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He is accused of playing a critical role in facilitating the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed over 160 people. He helped fellow operative David Coleman Headley (aka Dawood Gilani), a Pakistani-American, obtain travel documents and set up surveillance missions in India. Headley’s actions were part of a broader LeT plot, reportedly backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Evidence collected during investigations shows that Rana visited Mumbai via Dubai days before the attack. He stayed at Hotel Renaissance in Powai from November 11 to 21, 2008. Shockingly, after the attack, Rana allegedly expressed satisfaction and said those involved deserved Pakistan’s highest military honours posthumously.
So far, Ajmal Kasab the lone terrorist captured alive during the 26/11 attacks—has been the only one tried and convicted in India.
The extradition of Rana follows years of diplomatic engagement. The Indian government officially requested Rana’s extradition in December 2019, and on June 10, 2020, a formal complaint was filed in the US for his provisional arrest. Former US President Donald Trump had confirmed the decision in February, stating he was “pleased to announce that Rana is going back to India to face justice.”
Rana is also known to be closely linked to ISI’s Major Iqbal, who is considered one of the masterminds behind the Mumbai attacks. According to court documents submitted in both Indian and US courts, Rana and Major Iqbal coordinated efforts that led to the 26/11 assault. Testimonies by Headley in US courts revealed that the trio discussed opening a fake immigration office in Mumbai in 2006, which served as a cover for their surveillance operations.
Between 2005 and 2009, Rana and Headley also provided material support to LeT. The duo were arrested by the FBI in 2009 while planning a separate terror strike on a Danish newspaper. Investigations revealed that Rana allowed Headley to use his business funds for planning the Denmark attack and even pretended to be Headley in emails to the publication.
To help Headley with surveillance in Mumbai, Rana allowed him to open a branch of First World Immigration Services in the city. He also advised him on how to secure Indian visas and directed staff to create fake documents to support his cover story. Mumbai Police later recovered email conversations that revealed their interactions with Major Iqbal and further details of the plan.
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