New Delhi, India – Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistan-born Canadian national suspected of playing a key role in the devastating 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, was first extradited to India by the United States government and then arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The extradition follows a protracted legal battle in the US, culminating in a decision by the US Supreme Court in March 2025, paving the way for Rana to face justice in India.
Born on January 12, 1961, in Chichawatni, Pakistan, Rana had a career as a physician in the Pakistani military before immigrating to Canada in 1997. He obtained Canadian citizenship in 2001. His name surfaced prominently in connection with the Mumbai attacks due to his close association with David Coleman Headley, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative already wanted in India for his reconnaissance activities prior to the attacks. Reports suggest that both Rana and Headley attended training camps organized by the LeT in Pakistan.
The 26/11 Mumbai attacks, a series of coordinated assaults by Pakistan-sponsored LeT terrorists, unfolded on November 26, 2008. Ten terrorists infiltrated Indian territory via the Arabian Sea, unleashing a wave of terror across multiple iconic locations in Mumbai. These included the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway station, the luxury hotels Oberoi Trident and Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Cama Hospital, and the Nariman House Jewish center. The siege lasted approximately 60 harrowing hours, leaving 175 people dead and hundreds more injured, sending shockwaves across India and the international community.
Following the attacks, investigations revealed Rana’s alleged involvement in providing support to the LeT. In 2011, a US court in Chicago convicted him of providing material support to the LeT, the very organization responsible for the Mumbai carnage. He was sentenced to over a decade in prison. The conviction also stemmed from his support for a planned, though ultimately unexecuted, attack on a Danish newspaper that had published controversial cartoons of Prophet Muhammed in 2005.
Despite his conviction in the US on terror-related charges, India pursued Rana’s extradition to face specific charges related to the Mumbai attacks. The legal proceedings in the US saw Rana argue against extradition, citing the principle of Non Bis in Idem (double jeopardy), claiming he had already been tried and convicted for related offenses. However, the US courts rejected this argument, asserting that the charges in India contained distinct elements from those for which he was acquitted in the United States. The US court further affirmed that India had presented sufficient evidence establishing probable cause that Rana had committed the crimes he is accused of in India.
In a last-ditch effort to evade extradition, Rana approached the US Supreme Court in March 2025, seeking an emergency stay. In his application, he made the startling claim that he would face torture in India due to his Muslim identity and Pakistani origin. He also pleaded on medical grounds, stating he suffered from several serious ailments, including an advanced cardiac aneurysm, Parkinson’s disease with cognitive decline, and potential bladder cancer.
However, all of Rana’s attempts to block his extradition proved futile. He arrived in India to face the legal consequences for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Meanwhile, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on April 11 sent Tahawwur Rana, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused, to 18-day of custody of the NIA. The 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana on April 10 arrived in India following his extradition by the United States.
Earlier on Thursday evening, Tahawwur Rana was produced before the Special NIA Court. The anti-terror agency has presented compelling evidence, including emails sent by 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused Tahawwur Rana, to justify his police custody. The agency informed the court that custodial interrogation is crucial to uncovering the sinister plot. Investigators will also examine Rana’s role in orchestrating the deadly terror attacks.
NIA further states that, as part of the criminal conspiracy, accused No. 1, David Coleman Headley, had discussed the entire operation with Tahawwur Rana before his visit to India. Anticipating potential challenges, Headley sent an email to Rana detailing his belongings and assets. He also informed Rana about the involvement of Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman in the plot.
According to the NIA, Rana was being held in judicial custody in the US pursuant to proceedings initiated under the India-US Extradition Treaty for his extradition. The extradition finally came through after Rana exhausted all legal avenues to stay the move.
“Rana is accused of conspiring with David Coleman Headley @ Daood Gilani, and operatives of designated terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) along with other Pakistan-based co-conspirators, to carry out the devastating terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008. A total of 166 persons were killed and over 238 injured in the deadly attacks. Both LeT and HUJI have been declared as terrorist organisations by the Government of India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967,” the NIA said.
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