New Delhi: Tahawwur Hussain Rana, one of the key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was extradited to India on Thursday and produced at the Patiala House court late at night, where the National Investigation Agency was granted 18-day custody to interrogate him.
While Rana’s extradition comes after a prolonged legal and diplomatic battle spanning over 16 years, it may not yet bring “closure” to the victims of the dastardly attack—only a step towards it.
Several high-profile individuals involved in the 2008 attacks remain outside India’s reach. Most notably David Coleman Headley, a key conspirator in the attacks, continues to evade extradition due to a plea bargain agreement with the United States, despite repeated efforts by Indian authorities. But that is unlikely to change. For now, India will have to make do with Rana.
Rana’s arrest, however, remains significant, as it is expected to help the NIA complete the 26/11 puzzle by filling the gaps left open after the 2010 interrogation of Headley in the US. His questioning is likely to shed light on the logistical network—local contacts, sources of funding, and handlers—who facilitated Headley’s operations in India at Rana’s behest, details that remain unknown.
Moreover, according to investigators, Rana’s interrogation will also help probe agencies, including the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), unravel the role of Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) in the 26/11 operation, as well as other key people involved in the planning. These individuals were chargesheeted by the NIA in 2011 but are currently in Pakistan.
Investigators are also of the view that this extradition could help strengthen India’s case at global forums such as the UN security Council and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which sets international standards to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and related threats, by spotlighting Pakistan’s role as a safe haven for terrorists.
Given the significance of this extradition, which could resolve several unanswered questions related to the Mumbai attacks, Tahawwur Rana is the ThePrint Newsmaker of the Week.
Also read: Hours after Tahawwur Rana’s extradition to India, US calls it a ‘critical step toward justice’
Who is Rana and what was his role?
Tahawwur Rana began his career as a doctor in the Pakistani Army and moved to Canada in 1997. Three years later, he opened an immigration business in Chicago. It was this business that Headley used as a front to establish himself in Mumbai while conducting a recce of the locations later attacked, according to a 2011 NIA chargesheet.
In his testimony to US authorities—later made public—David Headley referred to Rana as a “longtime friend,” tracing their association back to high school in Pakistan. Headley admitted that he had informed Rana about his mission to “scout potential targets in India.”
According to an NIA source, Rana is considered a key figure in the planning of the 26/11 attacks. After conducting reconnaissance in Mumbai, Headley returned to the US and met Rana to discuss the details of the terror plot.
“This included identifying landing points for the terrorists near the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, and visits to key locations such as the Siddhivinayak temple, the harbour area, the railway station, and Mantralaya,” the source said.
What further implicates Rana, the officer said, is a conversation with Headley intercepted by the FBI on 7 September 2009. In it, Rana told Headley that while he was in Dubai, he had received a tip-off about the 26/11 attacks. He also said the nine Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives killed by Indian forces should be posthumously awarded Pakistan’s highest military honour.
Elaborating on Rana’s role, the officer explained that Headley received Rana’s approval to open a branch of First World Immigration Services—Rana’s company with offices in Chicago and elsewhere—in Mumbai as a front for surveillance.
“Rana helped complete the paperwork, designating Headley as the regional head for the Southeast Asia office, and facilitated the [multiple-entry] visa process. All of this was done at the behest of 26/11 mastermind, Hafiz Saeed, operating from Pakistan,” the source said.
The chargesheet also states that Headley received $25,000 from a Pakistani intelligence operative, Major Iqbal, to establish an Immigration Law Centre in India.
“Rana used his network in Mumbai to help Headley find a rental property, settle down, and even extend his Indian visa for ten years,” the officer added.
The officer said it would be incorrect to suggest Rana was unaware of the conspiracy, given that Headley was in constant communication with him. NIA records show Headley contacted Rana more than 200 times across eight visits.
Rana was first arrested in the US in 2009 in connection with the 26/11 attacks. Although US prosecutors could not definitively establish his direct role in the Mumbai attacks, they proved he provided “material support” to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based terrorist group.
The Pakistan link
According to investigators, Rana’s extradition is a crucial development expected to reveal the full extent of the 26/11 conspiracy, including the ISI’s involvement.
After the attacks, Indian authorities sent formal Letters Rogatory (LRs) to Pakistan, seeking help in investigating seven Pakistani nationals named in the NIA chargesheet.
A Letter Rogatory is a formal request from a court in one country to a court in another, seeking judicial cooperation in a criminal case.
Following sustained diplomatic pressure, Pakistan arrested seven individuals, including senior Lashkar commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. However, the case saw little progress beyond the arrests. It remains unclear if the individuals were ever brought to trial.
Despite India submitting multiple dossiers and evidence, Pakistan has not allowed Indian investigators to question any of the accused.
“No meaningful action was taken against these men,” said a second source familiar with the investigation. “Rana’s interrogation may finally shed light on much more than what we learned from Headley—especially about the roles of those accused, since Rana too was in constant touch with the handlers.”
The source added that until now, the investigation had relied heavily on Headley’s testimony.
“We were operating on presumptions as we are relying on Headley’s interrogation. What’s needed now is an extensive and scientifically rigorous interrogation of Rana, which could help reconstruct the complete picture of the conspiracy,” an officer involved in the original investigation told ThePrint.
“There are still many gaps to be filled. The two were essentially shadows of each other. Whatever we couldn’t get from Headley, we hope to now uncover through Rana,” the officer added.
What next?
With Rana now in NIA custody for 18 days, he will be interrogated on several aspects and confronted with the evidence gathered over the years.
After his interrogation is complete, he will be sent to judicial custody and the NIA will file a supplementary chargesheet citing fresh evidence.
When asked whether Rana’s acquittal in the US for the 26/11 case could impact proceedings in India, the officer quoted above said it is “highly unlikely,” as India is looking at his role as a co-conspirator and has sufficient evidence to prove it. Rana’s disclosures will only strengthen the case.
How long the trial will take remains uncertain. But Rana’s extradition has undoubtedly given new life to the 26/11 investigation. What the probe reveals, how the trial unfolds, and whether he is convicted—or as some hope, hanged—remains to be seen. For now, this may be a step closer to closure for the victims of 26/11, but it is still far from it.
(Edited by Prashant)