Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a 64-year-old Pakistani-born Canadian businessman, was extradited from the United States to India on April 10, 2025, in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that claimed 166 lives. This marks the first instance of such an extradition in a terrorism case.
Upon arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Thursday evening, Rana was formally arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
He was then produced before the NIA Special Court at Patiala House under tight security, which included a convoy with a prison van, a Mahindra Marksman armored SWAT vehicle, and an ambulance.
Special NIA Judge Chander Jit Singh granted the agency custody of Rana. The NIA had initially requested 20 days of custody, citing key evidence such as email communications.
Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, representing the NIA, emphasized that Rana’s custodial interrogation was essential to probe a suspected conspiracy, alleging that Rana had collaborated with others in a criminal plot aimed at carrying out terrorist activities.
During the court proceedings, the judge inquired whether Rana wished to engage a private lawyer or preferred the legal aid provided by the court. Krishnan submitted the remand application on behalf of the NIA, outlining the charges against Rana and presenting a list of evidence for the judge’s consideration.
The agency also informed the court that David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American operative who conducted reconnaissance missions for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, had emailed Rana a detailed list of his possessions and resources in anticipation of possible complications.
This communication, the agency claimed, also revealed the roles of other accused individuals, including Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman.
Ahead of Rana’s production before the court, the Delhi Police removed media personnel and members of the public from the court premises, citing security concerns.
Police authorities stated that no one would be permitted inside, ensuring that the court premises were fully vacant. They cited security and safety concerns for restricting access to the court complex.
The NIA, with the active assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Sky Marshal, worked closely with other Indian intelligence agencies and the National Security Guard (NSG) throughout the extradition process.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs coordinated with relevant authorities in the United States to bring the matter to a successful conclusion.
Rana was taken under tight security to the NIA headquarters, where a high-security cell had been prepared for his interrogation. He is set to be put on trial for his alleged involvement in the 26/11 attacks, which involved a coordinated three-day assault on Mumbai.
A high-powered team of 12 NIA officials—including the Director General, two Inspector Generals, one Deputy Inspector General, and a Superintendent of Police—began questioning Rana. According to NIA sources, only these 12 officials directly involved in the probe were granted access to Rana’s cell, with any other officer requiring prior permission.
NIA DG Sadanand Date, IG Ashish Batra, and DIG Jaya Roy are among those in the core team.
Rana was shown a range of material, including recorded voice samples, photographs, videos, and email trails, some of which are expected to establish his links to Pakistan’s intelligence network and terror operatives. His arrival came just hours after Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a carefully worded video statement distancing itself from him, declaring that Rana had not renewed any Pakistani documentation in the last two decades and that his Canadian nationality was “very clear.”
Sources in India’s intelligence establishment believe the Pakistani Foreign Office’s abrupt distancing is no coincidence. They assert that Rana holds vital knowledge of Pakistan’s military-intelligence apparatus and its involvement in orchestrating the Mumbai attacks.
His known ties to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Army make him a potential source of damning testimony that could expose the state’s role in the 26/11 attacks. A senior counter-terror official stated, “Pakistan fears Rana will spill the beans… this sudden disavowal is nothing but strategic panic.”
Meanwhile, Israel hailed the extradition of Tahawwur Rana. Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, stated, “I would like to thank the Government of India for its persistence in bringing the terrorists to justice.”
Rana’s extradition is the culmination of a lengthy legal and diplomatic struggle that saw Indian authorities pressing the United States under the 1997 India-US Extradition Treaty. After years of litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court dealt the final blow to Rana’s attempts to evade deportation by rejecting his plea for a stay.
In a blunt order, the apex court ruled, “The application for stay addressed to the Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied.” Rana’s lawyers had pleaded that extraditing him would violate the UN Convention Against Torture due to his Pakistani-Muslim background and the politically sensitive nature of the case. The court, however, found the arguments unconvincing.
Authorities have yet to finalize Rana’s place of incarceration, with both Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail and Delhi’s Tihar Prison being considered. Jail authorities in both cities have been instructed to prepare high-security cells.
In a late-night notification, the Centre appointed advocate Narender Mann as special public prosecutor for conducting the trial and other matters related to the NIA case RC-04/2009/NIA/DLI (Mumbai attacks) for three years. The notification stated,
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 15 of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 (34 of 2008), read with sub-section (8) of section 18 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), the central government hereby appoints Narender Mann, advocate as special public prosecutor for conducting trial and other matters related to NIA case RC-04/2009/NIA/DLI on behalf of the National Investigation Agency before the NIA Special Courts at Delhi and Appellate Courts, for three years from the date of publication of this notification.