US President Donald Trump has announced that his administration has approved the extradition of Tehwavur Rana, which is lodged in the desired list of Indian investigative agencies involved in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and considered “extremely dangerous”. Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin Rana is currently closed at a metropolitan detention center in Los Angeles. He is believed to have been closely associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of 26/11 attacks.
Supreme Court verdict and extradition process
In January, the Supreme Court of America dismissed Rana’s review petition and approved his extradition. The Government of India announced last month that it was constantly coordinating with US officials to ensure Rana’s early extradition.
Tehwavur Rana: Who is that?
Tahwwur Rana is a doctor by profession, but has several aspects of his personality. He has been an immigration businessman, anti-India fundamentalist and active ally of Lashkar-e-Taiba. He played an important role of financial management for Lashkar.
He was a close aide of Major Iqbal of the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, who was plotting an attack on Mumbai by sea route. The Government of India had demanded strict retaliation, calling this attack an undeclared war by Pakistan.
Rana’s activities before Mumbai attacks
Rana, along with Headley, planned 26/11 attacks. The attack was carried out through terrorist organizations like Lashkar and Indian Mujahideen.
According to the investigators, before the attacks, Rana reached Mumbai via Dubai to ensure all the arrangements correctly. According to police documents, “Rana checked in from 11 to 21 November 2008 in Hotel Renensan in Mumbai. This horrific attack took place five days after his departure. “
Relationship between Rana and Headley
The Mumbai Police filed a 400 -page supplementary charge sheet against Tahwwur Rana in 2023, which was the fourth charge sheet in the 26/11 case. It explained in detail his involvement in the attack.
According to the charge sheet, Rana had helped David Headley to get India’s tourism visa through fake documents. The Crime Branch received emails between Headley and Rana, in which he was discussing the role of Major Iqbal of ISI, the co-scriptor of 26/11 attacks.
Rana’s conversation about Mumbai attacks
The transcript of Rana and Headley’s conversation found that Rana had said, “The Mujahideen involved in the Mumbai attacks should get Pakistan’s highest posthumous military honors.” In 2013, the US Justice Department presented this conversation as an important evidence in the order of Rana’s sentence.
Now that the US has approved Rana’s extradition, Indian security agencies are preparing to bring him to India and put him in the dock of justice for his role in this big terrorist attack.
