'Critical step toward seeking justice': US on Tahawwur Rana's extradition to India

The United States has said that the extradition of Tahawwur Rana to India, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, is a “critical steps toward seeking justice”.

Rana arrived in India on Thursday and was formally arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) upon his arrival. He was produced in a court in Delhi that granted NIA his custody for 18 days.

On November 26, 2008, 10 terrorists of Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) arrived in Mumbai by sea and attacked various locations, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, the Oberoi Trident hotel, and the Jewish community centre Chabad House. A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the attacks.

In a statement on Thursday, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) said, “Rana’s extradition is a critical step toward seeking justice for the six Americans and scores of other victims who were killed in the heinous attacks.”

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Rana is accused of facilitating the 26/11 Mumbai attacks by arranging for the travel of a fellow terrorist, David Coleman Headley, to Mumbai for surveillance for the purpose of the attacks. As per the DoJ, Rana allegedly told Headly after the attacks that Indians “deserved it”. It further said that an intercepted conversation allegedly had Rana telling Headley that LeT terrorists “should be given Nishan-e-Haider”, which is Pakistan’s highest wartime gallantry award.

For more than two years, Headley allegedly repeatedly met Rana in Chicago and described his surveillance on behalf of LeT, LeT’s responses to Headley’s activities, and LeT’s potential plans for attacking Mumbai, according to the DoJ.

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In 2013, Rana was sentenced to 14 years for conspiring to supporting LeT and for a foiled LeT-sponsored plot in Denmark. Separately, Headley also pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism charges, including aiding and abetting the murders of six Americans in Mumbai attacks and the foiled attack in Denmark.