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The Ministry of Home Affairs has appointed senior advocate Narender Mann as the Special Public Prosecutor in the case involving Tahawwur Rana, one of the key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Mann’s appointment comes at a crucial time as Rana is being extradited to India following the dismissal of his final legal challenge in the United States.
According to an official notification dated April 9, Mann will represent the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in proceedings against Rana before the designated Special Courts in Delhi. His term as prosecutor is set for three years or until the conclusion of the trial—whichever occurs earlier.
Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian national of Pakistani origin, was lodged in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles. He is now being brought to India after the US Supreme Court declined to entertain his appeal against extradition.
Background: The 26/11 Terror Attack
The 26/11 Mumbai attacks remain one of the darkest chapters in India’s history. On November 26, 2008, ten heavily armed terrorists from Pakistan infiltrated Mumbai via the Arabian Sea. What followed was a coordinated massacre that lasted nearly 60 hours, targeting key locations like Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, the Oberoi Trident, and Nariman House.
The carnage claimed 166 lives and injured hundreds. Among the dead were foreign nationals and security personnel, with the attacks leaving an indelible mark on India’s internal security framework.
The incident brought India and Pakistan dangerously close to conflict, sparking global outrage and a renewed focus on cross-border terrorism.
Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only attacker captured alive, was tried and convicted. He was hanged in November 2012 at Yerawada Jail in Pune, bringing some measure of justice to the victims’ families.
With Rana’s extradition and Mann’s appointment, the Indian authorities are expected to intensify efforts to uncover more layers of the conspiracy behind the attack and prosecute all those responsible.
