- Tahawwur Rana Held Over Mumbai Attacks
- Businessman Extradited to India for Mumbai Role
- Mumbai Attacks Suspect Arrested in India
Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistan-born businessman from Chicago, has been remanded in custody for 18 days after being extradited to India to face charges related to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
The 64-year-old Canadian citizen landed in Delhi on Thursday, where India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) confirmed the successful extradition.
Indian authorities accuse Rana of aiding the attacks by collaborating with his childhood friend David Headley to support Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani militant group blamed for the assault.
On November 26, 2008, ten militants launched coordinated attacks across Mumbai, killing 166 people and injuring hundreds before being neutralized by security forces on November 29.
Rana was extradited from the United States and arrested by the NIA upon his arrival in Delhi on Thursday evening. He was escorted to a special court under heavy security, with dozens of journalists trailing the convoy to catch a glimpse of him.
In a statement on Friday, the NIA announced plans to interrogate Rana extensively.
“The agency will question Rana in detail in order to unravel the complete conspiracy behind the deadly 2008 attacks,” the statement read.
India’s home ministry has appointed prominent lawyer Narendra Mann to lead the prosecution in the case.
Neither Rana nor his legal representatives have made public comments since his extradition.
The US Embassy in Delhi issued a press release on Friday, confirming that Rana would stand trial in India on ten criminal charges stemming from his alleged involvement in the attacks.
“Rana’s extradition is a critical step toward seeking justice for the six Americans and scores of other victims who were killed in the heinous attacks,” the statement said.
Rana’s legal troubles date back to 2011, when a US court acquitted him of directly plotting the Mumbai attacks but convicted him of supporting Lashkar-e-Taiba.
He was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2013 but released in 2020 on health grounds. Later that year, he was re-arrested after India formally requested his extradition.
A US court approved the extradition in 2023, but Rana remained in custody awaiting final government clearance.
In February, then-President Donald Trump authorized the extradition following discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The US Supreme Court subsequently rejected Rana’s appeals against the decision.
US prosecutors allege that in 2006, Rana allowed Headley to open an office for his Chicago-based immigration services firm in Mumbai. Headley reportedly used the office as a cover to scout locations for the 2008 attacks.
The charges brought against Rana by the NIA include criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Indian government, and terrorism.
