Tahawwur Rana Extradition Live Updates: 'Long sought justice for 166 people, including 6 Americans,' says US on Tahawwur Rana extradition

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian terrorist linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed nearly 170 lives, was arrested by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi following his extradition from the United States on Thursday. The highly sensitive operation was executed with extreme caution to prevent any disruption. Rana was transported on a Gulfstream G550 using a dummy flight code to avoid tracking, and was escorted by NSG commandos and US Sky Marshals. The flight, which included a stopover in Romania, landed at Palam airport where Rana was immediately taken into custody.Upon arrival, Rana was presented before Special NIA Judge Chander Jit Singh during a closed-door hearing. Based on a request by Special Public Prosecutor Narender Mann—appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs—the court granted 18 days of NIA custody. Legal representation for Rana was provided by advocate Piyush Sachdeva through the Delhi Legal Services Authority.Rana is believed to have played a crucial role in orchestrating the 26/11 attacks alongside David Coleman Headley, his longtime friend and fellow conspirator. Disguised as an immigration consultant during his 2008 visit to India, Rana traveled to multiple cities including Agra, Hapur, and Kochi. Investigators suspect these visits served as a cover for identifying potential terror recruits for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).His extradition followed a prolonged legal struggle in the US, culminating in a 2023 decision by a district court in California. Rana challenged the ruling all the way to the US Supreme Court, but his appeals were consistently rejected. The successful transfer was made possible through the coordinated efforts of US law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including the Department of Justice, FBI, and US Marshals.The NIA now plans to interrogate Rana 'in detail' to extract more details about the Mumbai attack conspiracy and to identify the involvement of key Pakistan-based operatives such as Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.