Tahawwur Rana, 26/11 Mumbai Attack Suspect, To Be Produced in Delhi Court After Extradition from US
Having lost his legal battle in the US, Tahawwur Rana is being extradited to India to stand trial for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people.
Tahawwur Rana, who is suspected of helping the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is being extradited from the US to India. He will be produced in a Delhi court under tight security. Here’s everything you need to know about his involvement and charges against him.
New Delhi – Tahawwur Rana, who has been charged with a central role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes, will be produced before a court in Delhi soon after his extradition from the US. Rana, against whom all legal recourse to thwart his extradition has failed, is being brought to India on a special flight, which is expected to arrive tomorrow.
Rana is among the key accused in a conspiracy case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) relating to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people and injured hundreds. Sources indicated that he would be produced first before a Delhi court, though Mumbai police have not yet received formal word on his subsequent production in Mumbai, where he has more charges related to the attacks.
Who is Tahawwur Rana?
Born in Pakistan’s Punjab province, 64-year-old Tahawwur Hussain Rana was a member of the Pakistan Army’s Medical Corps before he moved to Canada in 1997. There, he started a number of businesses, including an immigration consulting firm. Rana and David Headley — another main plotter of the Mumbai attacks — met for the first time during their school days at Cadet College Hasan Abdal in Pakistan.
Rana has made allegations in US courts that he has several serious medical conditions, such as an abdominal aortic aneurysm, Parkinson’s disease with cognitive impairment, and a possible bladder cancer mass.
The Allegations Against Him
The Immigrant Law Centre, set up by Rana allegedly in collusion with David Headley, was also a front for pre-26/11 reconnaissance missions, the NIA chargesheet states. Under the cover of this, Headley moved around extensively in India, surveying potential targets in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Pushkar, Goa, and Pune.
The investigation found that Rana, Headley, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, LeT co-founder Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and others “aided and abetted” the 26/11 attacks. Rana and Headley also reportedly planned attacks on other targets, including Chabad Houses across India and Delhi’s National Defence College.
Previous Arrest and Charges
Rana was originally arrested by the FBI in October 2009 following Headley’s arrest at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Both men were charged by US authorities with conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks overseas, including the Mumbai conspiracy. The chargesheet mentions that the larger conspiracy was conceived in Pakistan, and seven of the nine accused (none of whom include Headley and Rana) remain there.
Rana has several charges against her under Indian law, namely, criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India, murder, forgery, and offenses under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Where Is David Headley Now?
David Headley, whose real name is Daood Sayed Gilani, is serving a 35-year prison term in the US after he pleaded guilty to his involvement in the attacks. In contrast to Rana, Headley fully cooperated with US officials, accepting a plea bargain that bars him from being extradited to India.
assistant U.S. attorney John J. Lulejian recently explained that Headley was no longer an extradition candidate since he had pleaded guilty and assumed responsibility, whereas Rana didn’t do that and is thereby eligible for extradition.
Headley was reportedly badly hurt in 2018 while being attacked at prison.
