Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, has been extradited from the U.S. and sent to 18-day NIA custody Today (April 11). The agency will now interrogate him to expose the full terror conspiracy.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
NEW DELHI: A big step has been taken in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case. On Friday, April 11, 2025, a Delhi court sent Tahawwur Hussain Rana, one of the accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, to 18 days’ custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), just hours after he was extradited from the United States.
The order was passed by Special NIA Judge Chander Jit Singh, after the NIA filed an application seeking 20 days of police custody for interrogation. However, the court allowed 18 days of custodial interrogation.
“Tahawwur Rana will stay in NIA custody for 18 days, during which the agency will interrogate him thoroughly to uncover the full conspiracy behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which led to the death of 166 people and injured more than 238 others.”
: Sources
Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin, was produced before the Special NIA judge Chander Jit Singh at the Patiala House Court in Delhi. He was brought to the court in tight security, which included a jail van, an armoured SWAT vehicle, and an ambulance, forming part of his high-security cavalcade.
He is known to be a close associate of David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, who is a key conspirator in the Mumbai attacks. Headley is a U.S. citizen and member of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Headley had planned and carried out reconnaissance missions in Mumbai before the attack, and Rana helped him by arranging a visa and a fake identity, so he could travel to India easily.
In fact, in 2011, the NIA had charge-sheeted Rana in absentia while he was already under arrest in the U.S. for his role in assisting Headley and LeT in the planning of the attacks. He was accused of helping the terrorists at the behest of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed.
Rana’s extradition to India became possible after the U.S. Supreme Court, on April 4, 2025, dismissed his review plea against being sent to India to face trial. This cleared the way for his extradition after a long legal battle in the U.S.
The case is being argued in court by Special Public Prosecutor Narendra Mann and Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan on behalf of the NIA. Advocate Piyush Sachdeva is defending Tahawwur Rana in the legal proceedings.
The matter is being heard in the courtroom of Additional Sessions Judge Chanderjit Singh, who will also monitor further developments during Rana’s custodial interrogation.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has tried to distance itself from Rana after his extradition became public. On Thursday, April 10, 2025, during a press conference, Shafqat Ali Khan, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to media queries by saying that Rana had not attempted to renew his Pakistani citizenship since he left Pakistan, making it clear that the country is trying to disown any link to him.
This development is expected to help Indian authorities dig deeper into the complete conspiracy behind the Mumbai attacks, which left a deep scar on the nation’s heart.
With Tahawwur Rana now in India and under NIA custody, families of the victims and the public at large are hopeful that justice will finally be served and the full truth behind the terror plot will come to light.
BACKGROUND
US: In a major step toward justice for the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the Supreme Court of the United States earlier rejected the final attempt made by Tahawwur Rana, who is accused of being involved in the attacks, to stop his extradition to India.
This decision has brought him even closer to being handed over to Indian authorities for trial.
The Mumbai attacks, which began on November 26, 2008, lasted for three days and targeted important places like hotels, a train station, and a Jewish center. These deadly attacks killed 166 innocent people. According to Indian officials, the group behind these attacks was Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist terrorist group based in Pakistan.
However, the Pakistan government has denied any involvement in the attacks.
Tahawwur Rana, who is originally from Pakistan but is a Canadian citizen, was living in Chicago, USA at the time. In 2011, he was found guilty in the United States and was given a 13-year jail sentence. At present, he is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.
Rana, who is 64 years old, has strong links with David Coleman Headley, another person who played a major role in planning the 26/11 attacks. Headley, who has Pakistani and American roots, is believed to have visited Mumbai before the attack to gather information. He pretended to be working for Rana’s immigration consultancy business during these visits.
In the US, Rana was convicted for supporting a terror plot in Denmark and also for helping Lashkar-e-Taiba, the same group blamed for the Mumbai attacks.
To delay his extradition, Rana had filed an urgent request in the Supreme Court on February 27. This was called an-
“Emergency Application For Stay Pending Litigation of Petition For Writ of Habeas Corpus”.
The request was submitted to Justice Elena Kagan, who is the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and is also in charge of the Ninth Circuit.
Justice Kagan had earlier rejected this request.
Rana then tried again by renewing the same request, officially called “Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus previously addressed to Justice Kagan,” and asked that it be forwarded to Chief Justice John Roberts instead.
Now, the official website of the Supreme Court has published an update saying,
“Application denied by the Court.”
Earlier this year, in February, during a press conference held at the White House alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former US President Donald Trump made a strong statement about Rana’s case. Trump clearly said that his government had approved Rana’s extradition to India.
He had declared,
“I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters and one of the very evil people of the world, having to do with the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack to face justice in India. So he is going to be going back to India to face justice.”
With this final rejection from the US Supreme Court, all legal options in the US for Tahawwur Rana have ended. His extradition to India is now expected to happen soon, where he will have to answer for his alleged role in one of the deadliest terror attacks on Indian soil.
Would You Like Assistance In Drafting A Legal Notice Or Complaint?
CLICK HERE
Click Here to Read Our Reports on Tahawwur Rana
FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES
