In a day of fast-paced developments linked with the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took custody of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind on Thursday evening, on the orders of the Special Court in New Delhi.The anti-terror agency had produced Rana before the NIA Special Court at Patiala House after formally placing him under arrest on his arrival at IGI Airport, New Delhi, following his successful extradition from the US.Rana will remain in NIA custody for 18 days, during which time the agency will question him in detail in order to unravel the complete conspiracy behind the deadly 2008 attacks, in which a total of 166 persons were killed and over 238 injured.
NIA had secured Rana’s extradition from the US following years of sustained efforts, and after the terror mastermind’s last-ditch efforts to get a stay on his extradition from the US failed. Rana was brought to New Delhi this evening, escorted by teams of NSG and NIA, comprising senior officials, on a special plane from Los Angeles, US. The extradition finally came through after Rana’s various litigations and appeals, including an emergency application before the U.S. Supreme Court, were rejected. With the coordinated efforts of India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs, along with the relevant authorities in the United States, the surrender warrant for the wanted terrorist was eventually secured and the extradition was carried out. NIA had worked closely with its counterparts in FBI, USDoJ and other agencies through the entire extradition process, which marked a major step in India’s efforts to bring individuals involved in terrorism to justice, irrespective of which part of the world they had fled to.Rana was being held in judicial custody in the US pursuant to proceedings initiated by NIA under the India-US Extradition Treaty.
The extradition finally came through after Rana’s various litigations and appeals, including an emergency application before the U.S. Supreme Court, were rejected with the active assistance of U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, U.S. Marshals Service, FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in New Delhi, and U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Legal Adviser for Law Enforcement. The diligent and persistent efforts of India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs culminated in securing the surrender warrant for the fugitive, leading to his eventual extradition. Rana is accused of conspiring with David Coleman Headley @ Daood Gilani, and operatives of designated terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) along with other Pakistan-based co-conspirators, to carry out the devastating terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008. A total of 166 persons were killed and over 238 injured in the deadly attacks.
