Tahawwur Rana, a prime conspirator behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has been extradited from the US and reached New Delhi. The Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin is charged with helping carry out the fatal 26/11 attacks that claimed more than 170 lives in India’s financial hub.
Upon arrival, Rana was immediately taken into custody and will be lodged in Delhi’s high-security Tihar jail. Authorities have heightened security measures due to the high-profile nature of the case and Rana’s international links to terrorist networks.
Rana’s extradition is a major diplomatic and legal triumph for India, which has long sought justice for the victims of one of its worst terror attacks. Indian agencies are now set to question him further about his connections with Lashkar-e-Taiba and his coordination with David Headley, the American-Pakistani terrorist already serving a sentence in the US.
The extradition comes at the end of a long legal struggle in US courts, where the US government has recognized the seriousness of the charges laid by India. Rana’s trial will be conducted under India’s anti-terrorist laws, which marks a much-awaited breakthrough in the 26/11 case.