Government likely to make a formal announcement only after Rana’s landing in India, expected on April 10 or April 11, depending on time taken for refuelling stops.
Tahawwur Hussian Rana, the Pakistani-origin Canadian-American wanted for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks conspiracy has been extradited by the United States, and is expected in India on Thursday (April 10, 2025), to face trial 17 years after the attacks that killed more than 166 people in 2008.
Officials involved in the investigation and diplomatic sources confirmed that U.S. authorities handed over custody of 64-year old Tahawwur Rana on Tuesday night (April 8, 2025) in California (Wednesday morning IST (April 9, 2025)) to a special team from the National Investigative Agency (NIA), who travelled to the U.S. to accompany him on board an Indian plane back to India. The sources said the plane is likely to land in New Delhi before Rana is transferred to custody and the trial process begins.
On Monday (April 7, 2025), the U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, rejected Rana’s review petition, his last appeal against the extradition. “The application for stay addressed to The Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied,” the one-line order read. In February, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced the decision to extradite Rana, during a joint press conference along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At the weekly briefing on Wednesday (April 9, 2025), the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, referred to the U.S. Supreme Court order, but gave no details of Rana’s transfer.
“As far as the extradition of Mr. Rana is concerned, I don’t have an update, but we will provide you an update at the appropriate time,” Mr. Jaiswal said possibly indicating the government would make a formal announcement only after Rana’s landing in India, expected on Thursday (April 10, 2025) or even Friday (April 11, 2025), depending on time taken for refuelling stops.
In 2011, the NIA had charged Rana in absentia after he was arrested as in the U.S. as an accomplice of David Headley, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) mastermind who carried out the planning and reconnaissance operations for the Mumbai attacks at the behest of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed. In particular, Rana was involved in the planning of the Mumbai attacks, assisting Headley in procuring a visa and creating a false identity so he could travel to India.
U.S. authorities entered into a plea bargain deal with Headley that bars his extradition or execution, and he is serving a life term for the Mumbai attacks. Rana, who was acquitted in the Mumbai attacks case, was convicted for his role in planning a related terror attack in Copenhagen along with Headley and served half his term of 14 years before being freed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, through diplomatic channels, India requested Rana’s extradition, and he was re-arrested in 2020, when he applied for new a U.S. passport. Although the court had ordered his extradition in 2023, Rana filed a number of appeals, claiming his background in the Pakistani Army raised chances he would be “tortured” in Indian custody.
The extradition of Rana, who was a childhood friend of Headley at a Pakistani military academy, before he moved to Canada and then the United States, is a major victory for India’s quest for justice for the attacks that targeted civilians and security force personnel at several locations in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, killing 166 and wounding 239. Thus far, India has been able to prosecute Ajmal Kasab, who was the only one of the 10 terrorists apprehended alive during the attacks, who was convicted, and then hanged to death in 2012. However, Pakistan has consistently denied assistance to India in prosecuting Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and other Pakistan-based LeT operatives who ordered the attacks and trained the terrorists for them.
Tahawwur Rana enroute to India, set to face trial in 26/11 attack case
Government likely to make a formal announcement only after Rana’s landing in India, expected on April 10 or April 11, depending on time taken for refuelling stops.
Tahawwur Hussian Rana, the Pakistani-origin Canadian-American wanted for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks conspiracy has been extradited by the United States, and is expected in India on Thursday (April 10, 2025), to face trial 17 years after the attacks that killed more than 166 people in 2008.
Officials involved in the investigation and diplomatic sources confirmed that U.S. authorities handed over custody of 64-year old Tahawwur Rana on Tuesday night (April 8, 2025) in California (Wednesday morning IST (April 9, 2025)) to a special team from the National Investigative Agency (NIA), who travelled to the U.S. to accompany him on board an Indian plane back to India. The sources said the plane is likely to land in New Delhi before Rana is transferred to custody and the trial process begins.
On Monday (April 7, 2025), the U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, rejected Rana’s review petition, his last appeal against the extradition. “The application for stay addressed to The Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied,” the one-line order read. In February, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced the decision to extradite Rana, during a joint press conference along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At the weekly briefing on Wednesday (April 9, 2025), the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, referred to the U.S. Supreme Court order, but gave no details of Rana’s transfer.
“As far as the extradition of Mr. Rana is concerned, I don’t have an update, but we will provide you an update at the appropriate time,” Mr. Jaiswal said possibly indicating the government would make a formal announcement only after Rana’s landing in India, expected on Thursday (April 10, 2025) or even Friday (April 11, 2025), depending on time taken for refuelling stops.
In 2011, the NIA had charged Rana in absentia after he was arrested as in the U.S. as an accomplice of David Headley, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) mastermind who carried out the planning and reconnaissance operations for the Mumbai attacks at the behest of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed. In particular, Rana was involved in the planning of the Mumbai attacks, assisting Headley in procuring a visa and creating a false identity so he could travel to India.
U.S. authorities entered into a plea bargain deal with Headley that bars his extradition or execution, and he is serving a life term for the Mumbai attacks. Rana, who was acquitted in the Mumbai attacks case, was convicted for his role in planning a related terror attack in Copenhagen along with Headley and served half his term of 14 years before being freed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, through diplomatic channels, India requested Rana’s extradition, and he was re-arrested in 2020, when he applied for new a U.S. passport. Although the court had ordered his extradition in 2023, Rana filed a number of appeals, claiming his background in the Pakistani Army raised chances he would be “tortured” in Indian custody.
The extradition of Rana, who was a childhood friend of Headley at a Pakistani military academy, before he moved to Canada and then the United States, is a major victory for India’s quest for justice for the attacks that targeted civilians and security force personnel at several locations in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, killing 166 and wounding 239. Thus far, India has been able to prosecute Ajmal Kasab, who was the only one of the 10 terrorists apprehended alive during the attacks, who was convicted, and then hanged to death in 2012. However, Pakistan has consistently denied assistance to India in prosecuting Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and other Pakistan-based LeT operatives who ordered the attacks and trained the terrorists for them.
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