One of the main suspects in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Pakistani terrorist Tahawwur Hussain Rana, is being extradited from the US to stand trial in India. 166 people were killed in the attacks, which were allegedly supported financially and logistically by Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian citizen of Pakistani descent who lived in Chicago.
He has exhausted all legal options to avoid the extradition, and he is anticipated to arrive in New Delhi tomorrow afternoon. The National Investigation Agency will arrest him upon arrival, and he will probably be brought before a Delhi court.
Rana was previously detained by the FBI in October 2009 for his role in a foiled attempt to attack a Copenhagen newspaper and for giving material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the terror organization based in Pakistan that carried out the Mumbai attacks. He was found guilty of conspiracy in the United States in 2011.
During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February, President Donald Trump announced the decision to extradite Rana, highlighting that Rana would be held accountable in India for his involvement in the “horrific” 2008 attacks.
According to Indian authorities, Lashkar-e-Taiba was responsible for the Mumbai attacks, which targeted a number of locations, including hotels, a train station, and a Jewish center. Any involvement in the attacks has been denied by Pakistan.
An important step forward in India’s quest for justice for the 2008 terror attack victims is Rana’s extradition. He is accused of murder, forgery, criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Indian government, and violations of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The date of Rana’s transfer to the city has not yet been formally communicated to the Mumbai police.
