The United States has decided to extradite 2008 Mumbai terror attack suspect Tahawwur Rana to India. US President Donald Trump announced a major announcement following his bilateral conversations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India has been requesting the extradition of the main suspect in the 26/11 terror incident for years, and he is presently incarcerated in a high-security facility in the United States.
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Official Statements
“We are handing over a very dangerous man to India, one who is accused of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack,” Trump stated.
Tahawwur Rana’s extradition to India was made possible by the US Supreme Court’s recent rejection of his review petition on January 21, 2025. “In view of the recent Supreme Court decision, and consistent with applicable US law, the Department of State is currently evaluating next steps in this case,” stated the US State Department.
“We have long supported India’s efforts to ensure the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attacks face justice,” the statement added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated President Trump for confirming the extradition of the terror suspect and praised the US’s position on the matter. “A Mumbai terror attack perpetrator is being extradited to India so that he can be questioned and put on trial there. I’m grateful that President Trump accelerated the procedure.“
Tahawwur Rana: The Mumbai Terror Attack Convict
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a businessman of Pakistani descent, will now be questioned by Indian authorities and go on trial in India after being found guilty of his involvement in the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai, which claimed 164 lives.
Rana communicated with the terrorist organizations and their leaders in Pakistan and was informed of the Mumbai terror attack. David Coleman Headley was one of Rana’s co-conspirators. Headley cooperated against Rana and entered a guilty plea.
The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan is alleged to have intimate ties to Rana.
The Investigation
According to the Mumbai police’s more than 400-page chargesheet, Tahawwur Hussain Rana arrived in India on November 11, 2008, and remained there until November 21. He stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in Powai, Mumbai, for two of these days.
Email correspondence between Headley and Rana was discovered by the Mumbai crime section. David Headley inquired about Major Iqbal’s email address in one of the emails pertaining to the 26/11 terror attacks. In the 26/11 terror attack investigation, Major Iqbal, a member of the Pakistani intelligence organization Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was cited as an accused party.
166 people were murdered and nearly 300 injured in the horrifying terror attack that occurred at Mumbai’s famous Taj Mahal Hotel on November 26, 2008, including 20 members of the security forces and 26 foreigners.
By – Juhi
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