NEW DELHI:
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, one of India’s most wanted accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is en route to New Delhi following his extradition from the United States after exhausting all legal avenues to stall the move.
A special chartered flight carrying the 64-year-old left the US on Wednesday, April 9, marking a significant moment in India’s pursuit of justice for the 2008 terror attack that killed 166 people.
Sources revealed that Rana, a Canadian-American citizen of Pakistani origin, is expected to land in New Delhi later in the day. Upon arrival, he will be taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is coordinating his extradition along with the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). He is likely to be presented before a Delhi court soon after.
Rana has been charged under multiple sections, including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India, murder, forgery, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The Mumbai Police, however, have not yet received an official communication regarding his transfer to the city.
On Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the extradition as a major diplomatic success for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
“Tahawwur Rana’s extradition is a big success of Prime Minister Modi’s diplomacy,” Shah said, calling it a defining triumph for the administration and a step toward justice for the victims of the horrific attacks.
Rana’s extradition marks the beginning of long-awaited legal proceedings into one of the most devastating terror episodes in India’s contemporary history.
Officially handed over to the NIA on April 8, 2025, in California, Rana had fought a protracted legal battle in the US to avoid being sent to India. His legal team had filed multiple appeals, including to the US Supreme Court, but all were ultimately rejected.
In his defence, Rana cited deteriorating health conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, a serious abdominal aneurysm, and symptoms of bladder cancer, claiming these made him unfit to face trial in India.
However, the US courts were unconvinced by his arguments, with his final appeal dismissed on April 7.
The extradition honours a prior assurance reportedly given by former US President Donald Trump during discussions with Prime Minister Modi.
A known associate of David Coleman Headley — another key conspirator in the 26/11 plot — Rana is believed to have had close links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.
While a US jury had earlier acquitted Rana of directly supporting the Mumbai attacks, he was convicted on separate terror charges and served over a decade in prison.
He was released during the Covid-19 pandemic on health grounds but was re-arrested in 2020 on the Indian extradition request, eventually leading to the present development.
Rana’s arrival in India opens a crucial chapter in the investigation of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, potentially shedding light on the deeper nexus between global terror networks and state-sponsored actors. The Indian government is expected to push for a speedy trial in this high-profile case.
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