NEW DELHI, April 11: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court remanded Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, to 18 days of NIA custody following his extradition from the United States.
Rana, 64, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin who had been residing in Chicago, was extradited to India and flown to New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday aboard a special flight from Los Angeles. The aircraft was escorted by a team comprising officials from the NIA and the National Security Guard (NSG), including senior officers closely involved with the high-profile case.
Upon his arrival in the capital, Rana was formally arrested by the NIA after all necessary legal formalities were completed.
In an official statement, the NIA confirmed that Rana’s extradition marked the culmination of “years of sustained and concerted efforts” by Indian authorities. He had been held in U.S. judicial custody since the launch of extradition proceedings under the India-U.S. Extradition Treaty.
The extradition process spanned several years and included complex legal proceedings in American courts. Rana’s legal team had filed multiple appeals, including an emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court — all of which were ultimately dismissed, paving the way for his return to India.
The NIA acknowledged the critical support received from various U.S. agencies in facilitating the extradition. These included the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI’s Legal Attaché in New Delhi, and the legal office of the U.S. State Department.
The Indian government’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also played key roles in navigating the legal and diplomatic intricacies of the case. Their close coordination with American authorities, alongside support from Indian intelligence agencies, was instrumental in ensuring the success of the extradition mission.
Rana’s arrival and formal arrest are being seen as a major milestone in India’s ongoing effort to bring to justice all those involved in the planning and execution of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which claimed 166 lives and injured hundreds more.
With Rana now in NIA custody, the agency is expected to conduct an intensive interrogation to extract crucial information regarding the 2008 conspiracy and identify additional links to other perpetrators of the deadly terror strike.
