Tahawwur Rana Extradited to India: Key Accused in 26/11 Mumbai Attacks to Face Trial
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people, is being extradited to India after losing a lengthy legal battle in the United States. The 64-year-old is expected to arrive in Delhi on a special flight this afternoon and will be produced before a local court on Thursday.
Rana is wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a conspiracy case linked to the 26/11 attacks. According to investigators, he played a crucial role in facilitating logistical and financial support for the coordinated assault carried out by ten armed terrorists from Pakistan.
Born on January 12, 1961, in Chichawatni, Punjab, Pakistan, Rana studied at Cadet College Hasan Abdal. It was here that he developed a close friendship with David Headley, a Pakistani-American who later turned out to be a key conspirator in the Mumbai attacks. Rana later joined the Pakistan Army Medical Corps and served as a captain-general duty practitioner before leaving the military in 1997.
Following his military career, Rana moved to Canada with his wife, both of whom became naturalized Canadian citizens in 2001. He later settled in Chicago, where he started several businesses, including an immigration firm named First World Immigration Services, which had offices in Chicago, New York, and Toronto. He also ran a Halal slaughterhouse.
Investigations have revealed that Rana allegedly allowed Headley to use his immigration firm as a front to open an office in Mumbai, which was then used for reconnaissance and planning of the 26/11 attacks. Apart from his role in the Mumbai conspiracy, Rana was also involved in a foiled terror plot targeting the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in retaliation for publishing controversial cartoons of Prophet Muhammad. The plot, referred to as the “Mickey Mouse Project,” involved plans to behead the newspaper’s staff.
Rana was arrested in the U.S. in 2009. After years of legal proceedings, he exhausted all options to prevent his extradition. With his arrival in India, the authorities hope to uncover more details about the planning of the deadly 2008 attacks and bring justice to the victims.
