Tahawwur Rana In India: What Awaits 26/11 Co-Conspirator As NIA Brings Him To Delhi

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key suspect in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has been extradited from the US to India. He is expected to face trial in a special court in Delhi.

Tight security arrangements at the Patiala House Courts in New Delhi where Tahawwur Rana will be produced.

Source : PTI

After years of legal battles and diplomatic negotiations, Tahawwur Hussain Rana — a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks — has finally been extradited to India from the United States. The 64-year-old Pakistan-born Canadian national landed in New Delhi on Thursday amid tight security as legal proceedings await him.

Rana is a close associate of David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani, one of the primary conspirators in the horrific attacks that claimed at least 174 lives and left a deep scar on India's collective memory. 

Rana’s connection to Headley and alleged logistical support for the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists behind the 2008 attacks places him at the centre of one of India’s most high-profile terror trials. 

ALSO READ ON ABP LIVE | From Arrest To Extradition — A Tahawwur Rana Timeline

Rana Likely To Be Lodged In Tihar Jail 

Rana is expected to be produced before a special court in the capital amid high-security arrangements before being lodged in Tihar Jail’s high-security ward.

Quoting prison authorities, a PTI report said all necessary preparations have been completed in Tihar Jail, where Rana will be kept under round-the-clock surveillance. Court sources confirmed to the news agency that the trial records related to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks have already been transferred from Mumbai to Delhi ahead of his trial.

According to the police, three PCR vans and multiple interceptors were stationed outside Palam Airport, where Rana's special flight landed. Simultaneously, the Delhi Traffic Police worked to ensure a smooth, decongested route for his transport to the Patiala House Court. 

ALSO READ ON ABP LIVE | ‘He Is A Canadian’: Pakistan Distances Itself From 26/11 Accused Tahawwur Rana

High Security At Patiala House Court 

Security has also been heightened at the Patiala House court complex, with personnel from paramilitary forces and CISF deployed and visitors subjected to strict frisking all day. Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Devesh Mahla personally oversaw the security arrangements, PTI reported.

According to reports, the court proceedings might be conducted in-camera due to the sensitive nature of the case.

Rana's extradition was the result of a protracted legal fight that began in 2010. His last attempt to block extradition was quashed on April 4 this year, when the US Supreme Court rejected his review petition, clearing the path for Indian authorities to bring him to trial.

Leading the prosecution in India will be senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, who played a pivotal role in securing Rana's extradition in US courts. Krishnan had argued that Rana’s trial in India does not amount to double jeopardy — a legal concept that prevents someone from being tried twice for the same crime. His arguments were accepted by all US courts that heard the matter.

Krishnan will be supported by Special Prosecutor Narender Mann and a team of legal experts from the NIA.