Special Flight Carrying Tahawwur Rana, 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack Accused, Lands In Delhi

New Delhi: The special flight carrying Tahawwur Hussain Rana, one of the main accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, landed at Delhi's Palam airport on Thursday evening. Rana has been extradited from the United States. A special chartered flight carrying the 64-year-old left the US on Wednesday, April 9.

Issuing a press statement on X, The National Investigation Agency (NIA) claimed securing successful extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Tahawwur Rana from US.

Read Full Text Of NIA On Tahawwur Rana's Extradition

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday successfully secured the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the mastermind of the deadly 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, after years of sustained and concerted efforts to bring the key conspirator behind the 2008 mayhem to justice.

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.

The District Court for the Central District of California had ordered his extradition on 16th May 2023. Rana then filed multiple litigations in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, all of which were rejected. He subsequently filed a petition for a writ of certiorari, two habeas petitions, and an emergency application before the U.S. Supreme Court, which were also denied. The extradition proceedings were initiated between the two countries after India eventually secured a surrender warrant for the wanted terrorist from the US government.

With the active assistance of USDOJ, the US Sky Marshal, NIA worked closely with other Indian intelligence agencies, NSG through the entire extradition process, which also saw India's Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs coordinating with the other relevant authorities in the United States to take the matter to its successful conclusion.

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.

Rana will be taken to National Investigation Agency (NIA) headquarters, which coordinated his extradition along with the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). The team had visited US to bring Rana back after the country’s Supreme Court rejected his review plea seeking an emergency stay on his extradition to India. Rana is likely to be presented before a Delhi court soon after.

The 64-year-old Pakistan-born Canadian national and a close associate of David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani, is being extradited from the United States to face trial in India for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that claimed 166 lives and left hundreds injured.

Security Arrangements Outside Palam Airport In Delhi:

Rana has been charged under multiple sections, including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India, murder, forgery, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The Mumbai Police, however, have not yet received an official communication regarding his transfer to the city.

Visuals Of NIA's Headquarters In Delhi:

Rana was officially handed over to the NIA on April 8 in California. He had fought a protracted legal battle in the US to avoid being sent to India. His legal team had filed multiple appeals, including to the US Supreme Court. However, all his pleas were rejected.

He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the Mumbai attacks.

Who Is Tahawwur Rana?

Tahawwur Hussain Rana is a Pakistani former military doctor who served in the Pakistan Army. Rana moved to Canada after gaining citizenship and became an immigration service businessman.

In 2011, he was convicted of providing support to the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and of allegedly plotting an attack on the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

On 17 January 2013, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison in the Danish newspaper attack case. A US court has denied the bail plea of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and declared a fugitive by India, asserting that he has not negated the "risk of flight".

Rana was born and raised in Chichawatni in the province of Pakistan's Punjab and attained his education at the Cadet College Hasan Abdal. Notably, at this college, Rana befriended Headley. A physician by profession, Rana served as a captain general duty practitioner in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps.

He and his wife, who is also a physician, immigrated to Canada in 1997, and obtained Canadian citizenship in June 2001.

Rana along with Headley planned the Mumbai terror attack.