Tahawwur Rana, one of the people involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, is expected to be sent back to India on Wednesday. The authorities are making extra security preparations to ensure everything goes smoothly, following the rules set by the US courts for people being extradited.
Rana will likely be kept in the custody of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) for the first few weeks. The process is being closely watched by important officials like Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Adviser, and other leaders from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Majorly, Rana’s extradition is a big win for India. So far, the only person who has been caught and punished in India for the attacks that killed over 170 people is Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist who was captured alive. Kasab was tried and executed.
India asked for Rana’s extradition in December 2019, and the request moved forward in June 2020 when the US agreed to arrest him temporarily. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump confirmed the decision to send Rana back to India. He said, “Rana will face justice in India for his role in the horrible 2008 Mumbai attacks.” In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Trump for helping with the extradition, calling it important for fighting terrorism.
Tahawwur Rana’s Relations With Major Iqbal From Pakistan’s ISI
Court documents show that Rana worked closely with Major Iqbal from Pakistan’s ISI, who is believed to be the main planner of the attacks. Rana and Headley (another key figure) helped plan the deadly attack. Indian investigators say that Rana was in Mumbai just before the attacks. He stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in Powai from November 11 to 21, 2008, which was just days before the attacks took place.
In 2009, Rana and Headley were arrested by the FBI for planning an attack on a Danish newspaper and for helping the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for years. David Headley, who later became a witness for the prosecution, told a US court that in 2006, he and the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) came up with a plan to set up an immigration office in Mumbai.
The office would act as a cover for spying on the city. Headley then told his friend, Tahawwur Rana, about the mission. Headley and Rana had a very close relationship since their school days in Pakistan, and they trusted each other completely. Rana even helped fund Headley’s activities and sometimes pretended to be Headley in messages related to their plans.
To help with the Mumbai attack, Rana allowed Headley to use his business, First World Immigration Services, as a front. Headley traveled to India multiple times between 2007 and 2008, using a visa arranged by Rana. During these visits, Headley gathered important information that was later used in the planning and execution of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
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