Mumbai Attacks: Tahawwur Rana Extradited to India
Rana's extradition is a major development in the investigation into the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and Indian authorities are hopeful that his trial will bring closure to the families of the victims. The NIA is continuing to question Rana, who has requested a copy of the Quran and is allowed to offer Namaz five times a day, as they seek to uncover the full extent of his involvement in the attacks.
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistan-born Canadian citizen, has been extradited to India from the US to face trial for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 166 people. Rana, 64, arrived in New Delhi under heavily armed guard and will be held in detention to face trial.
India accuses Rana of helping to plot the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and the Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) says that he conspired with David Coleman Headley, a US citizen, and operatives of terrorist organisations to carry out the attacks. Rana denies the charges, but India maintains that he is one of the key plotters. The extradition was announced by the NIA, which said that it was the result of "years of sustained and concerted efforts" to bring Rana to justice.
Rana was arrested in 2009 and served a sentence in the US for a related attack, but was extradited to India after the US Supreme Court rejected his bid to remain in the country. He was convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to the Mumbai attacks in 2013, and was also convicted of backing a plot to commit murder in Denmark. The NIA is hoping that Rana's answers will provide new details about the conspiracy, including his connections to David Coleman Headley and a key contact in Dubai who may have been aware of the plan.
The extradition marks a significant diplomatic breakthrough for India, allowing the country to pursue justice for the 166 people killed in the 2008 attacks. Rana faces charges of criminal conspiracy, waging war against India, and other crimes, and is being held in a highly-secured cell at the NIA's head office in New Delhi, where he is being guarded by security personnel round the clock.