Tahawwur Rana, accused in 26/11 Mumbai attacks, has been extradited to India from the U.S. after a Supreme Court rejection. Tight security in Delhi.
The 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused, Tahawwur Rana, has been brought to India today. Earlier his extradition was informed by Union Minister Piyush Goyal in a social media post. He said that due to the determination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today the accused of Mumbai attacks is being brought to India and he will get the stringent punishment. Talking to media in Mumbai, he alleged that the Congress government did nothing to punish the terrorists.
He is being brought through a special flight from US. Meanwhile, Security has been beefed up at NIA headquarters, Patiala Court and some other areas in the national
capital. Rana is being brought to India after his final attempt to evade extradition failed, as US Supreme Court rejected his application.
A tight security cordon has been established, with paramilitary forces and Delhi Police personnel deployed across strategic locations, including the NIA headquarters in South Delhi.
Senior police and security officials have been personally reviewing the arrangements on-site.
NIA is coordinating the extradition along with the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Yesterday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the return of Tahawwur Rana is a great success of the Modi government’s diplomacy. He said it is the responsibility of the Indian government to bring back all those who have misbehaved with the people of India. Speaking on a private TV channel, Mr. Shah said it would be a great achievement for the country that Tahawwur Rana will face a trial in an Indian court.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai has said that strict surveillance has been maintained on anti-national elements in the country since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office. Talking to reporters, Mr Rai said, the terrorism has been almost completely wiped out from the country. He said strong action has been taken against those who tried to create instability in India over the past 14 years.
Who is Tahawwur Hussain Rana ?
Tahawwur Hussain Rana is a Pakistani-Canadian national who has been implicated in terrorism-related activities, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Born on January 12, 1961, in Chichawatni, Pakistan, Rana pursued a career in medicine and served as a captain in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps before emigrating to Canada. He later became a naturalized Canadian citizen and established businesses in Chicago, including an immigration consultancy firm.
Rana’s connection to the Mumbai attacks stems from his association with David Headley, a childhood friend and co-conspirator. Headley used Rana’s immigration consultancy as a cover to conduct reconnaissance for the attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 166 people. Rana was arrested in the United States in 2009 and convicted in 2011 for providing material support to terrorism.
After serving a 14-year prison sentence in the U.S., Rana was extradited to India in April 2025 to face trial for his role in the Mumbai attacks. His extradition marks a significant step in India’s efforts to bring justice to the victims of the attacks.
The case involving Rana is considered one of the earliest instances where U.S. federal authorities directly linked a former Pakistani military officer to a terrorism-related plot, marking a significant development in counterterrorism investigations. Although U.S. intelligence agencies had long suspected connections between extremists and elements of the Pakistani military, the Rana-Headley conspiracy highlighted a more direct involvement of military personnel in global terrorism. There had been prior suspicions that some members of the Pakistani military and intelligence services had tacitly encouraged or facilitated attacks on perceived enemies of Pakistan, particularly those targeting India.
A team of National Investigation Agency officers arrived in the United States to take Rana into custody.Rana’s extradition will serve as a major setback to the Pakistan spy agency ISI and the Lashkar-e-Taiba, who were involved in the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai. (Wikepedia)
