WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — The United States has extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin, to India to face trial for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which killed 166 people, including six Americans, and wounded hundreds more.
Rana, 64, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, April 11, following his extradition from the U.S., ending nearly five years of legal battles to avoid transfer. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is now interrogating Rana daily, with sessions lasting up to 10 hours, as investigators attempt to uncover a broader terror conspiracy tied to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group, according to India’s Press Trust of India (PTI).
Rana faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, waging war against India, planning terrorist acts, and forgery. These charges stem from his alleged support of childhood friend David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American who pleaded guilty in 2013 to helping plot the attacks and conducting surveillance for LeT. Headley was sentenced to 35 years in U.S. federal prison for his role.
Authorities allege Rana provided Headley with a fraudulent business cover to facilitate reconnaissance trips to Mumbai. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Rana helped Headley obtain visas by submitting falsified documents, appointed him manager of a Mumbai office of his immigration services company despite Headley’s lack of qualifications, and met with him regularly to discuss reconnaissance findings.
Over four days in November 2008, 10 LeT gunmen carried out coordinated shootings and bombings at multiple sites in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, a train station, two restaurants, and a Jewish community center. The attackers, who arrived by sea, left a trail of devastation in what remains one of the deadliest terrorist assaults in India’s history. Property damage was estimated at over $1.5 billion.
The NIA believes Rana’s interrogation could yield fresh insights into LeT’s planning, surveillance missions in other Indian cities, and potential links to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. Investigators are also seeking clarity on Rana’s alleged conversations with Headley after the attacks, including an intercepted exchange in which Rana reportedly praised the attackers and suggested they deserved Pakistan’s highest military honor, the Nishan-e-Haider.
Rana, who was sentenced to 14 years in U.S. federal prison in 2013 for a separate plot to attack a Danish newspaper, fought extradition through the American legal system for years. Courts, including the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, rejected his appeals, clearing the way for his transfer. The U.S. Marshals Service surrendered Rana to Indian authorities on April 9, according to the Justice Department.
Rana is being held in a high-security cell at the NIA headquarters in New Delhi’s CGO Complex, where he remains under constant surveillance. PTI reports that he has requested a pen, paper, and a Quran, all of which were granted. The Delhi court that approved his 18-day NIA custody emphasized the seriousness of the charges, the national security implications, and the need to confront him with evidence, including phone records, witness statements, and forensic materials.
Authorities are also investigating whether Rana maintained ties with other extremist groups, such as Harkat-ul Jihadi Islami (HuJI), and whether he had knowledge of a larger plot targeting multiple Indian cities.
The extradition marks a significant moment in the long pursuit of justice for victims of the 26/11 attacks and highlights the extensive international cooperation behind counterterrorism efforts. The U.S. Justice Department credited a team of prosecutors, the FBI’s Legal Attaché in New Delhi, and the U.S. Marshals Service for securing Rana’s extradition.
