Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 10: In a major breakthrough in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused and one of India’s most wanted terrorists, is being brought to New Delhi following his extradition from the United States, marking a significant moment in India's pursuit of justice for the 2008 carnage.
A special chartered flight carrying the 64-year-old Canadian-American of Pakistani origin departed from the US on Wednesday, April 9, and is expected to land in the national capital later today, official sources confirmed. Rana will be immediately taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been coordinating the extradition process along with India’s external intelligence agency RAW.
Rana faces charges under several provisions of Indian law, including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the nation, murder, and under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). His extradition comes after he exhausted all legal remedies in the US, including a final appeal rejected by the US Supreme Court on April 7.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed Rana’s extradition a major diplomatic win for the Narendra Modi government, calling it a “defining success” and a step closer to justice for the 166 victims of the horrific 2008 attacks in Mumbai.
"Tahawwur Rana's extradition is a big success of Prime Minister Modi's diplomacy," Shah said.
Rana, a close associate of David Coleman Headley — another key conspirator in the 26/11 attacks — was officially handed over to Indian authorities on April 8 in California. While a US jury had earlier acquitted him of direct involvement in the Mumbai attack, he was convicted on other terror-related charges and served over a decade in a US prison.
During extradition hearings, Rana had pleaded that he was medically unfit to face trial in India, citing Parkinson’s disease, bladder cancer symptoms, and an abdominal aneurysm, but US courts were unconvinced.
Interestingly, his extradition reportedly honours a verbal assurance once given by former US President Donald Trump to Prime Minister Modi during bilateral discussions.
Rana’s arrival in India is expected to uncover more critical information about the international terror nexus and the role of Pakistan’s ISI and Lashkar-e-Taiba, to whom he is believed to have had close ties. He is likely to be produced before a Delhi court shortly.
The Mumbai Police have yet to receive official intimation regarding his transfer to the city, though legal proceedings are expected to commence soon, marking the next chapter in one of India’s most high-profile terror cases.