Mumbai: In a major breakthrough in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key conspirator and accused in the case, will be brought to India on Wednesday evening from the United States as part of a long-awaited extradition process.
A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), led by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG)-rank officer, is set to escort the Pakistani-Canadian national to Indian soil, with the operation being closely monitored by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and top officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
According to India TV sources, “special holding facilities are being constructed to meet conditions set by the US judiciary regarding the treatment of extradited individuals,” as reported by Times of India. These temporary high-security arrangements are being made in both Delhi and Mumbai jails, which have been instructed to prepare discreetly for Rana’s possible detention.
Rana, a former Pakistani army doctor and an active associate of terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is accused of playing a key logistical role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that left 166 people dead. Investigators say Rana facilitated the operations of David Coleman Headley—also known as Dawood Gilani—by helping him obtain Indian travel documents under false pretenses. Headley conducted multiple surveillance missions across Mumbai to plan the attacks.
Rana is believed to have entered Mumbai via Dubai, checking into Hotel Renaissance in Powai from November 11 to 21, 2008, just days before the deadly assault. Intelligence officials say his involvement was far from passive.
What is particularly chilling are accounts from investigators that claim Rana expressed pride over the bloodshed, allegedly suggesting that the attackers deserved Pakistan’s highest military awards posthumously.
So far, Ajmal Kasab, the lone captured attacker of the 10-man LeT squad, is the only one to have been tried and executed in India for the 26/11 carnage. With Rana’s extradition, authorities say the door is now open to prosecute other international players involved in one of the worst terror attacks in India’s history.
