India has sought Pakistan-born Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana’s extradition to face trial in the Mumbai 26/11 attacks
Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana is believed to be childhood friends with David Headley — a mastermind of the 26/11 terror attacks. PTI
In November 2008, India was shaken to its core when 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists carried out a series of attacks, lasting four days, across Mumbai. The series of shootings and bombings, which came to be known as 26/11 attacks, drew widespread global condemnation after a total of 175 people died, including nine attackers, and more than 300 were wounded.
Cut to 2022, and India still awaits justice as a US court is yet to take a decision on the extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana — who has been alleged of being a key plotter of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.
As we continue to wait for the US District Court’s verdict on Rana’s extradition to India, we take a closer look at who he is and how the government has been trying to get him on Indian soil in order to try him for his crimes.
Who is Tahawwur Rana?
Rana, 60, studied at the Hasan Abdal Cadet School in Pakistan, following which he served as a doctor in the Pakistan Army. It has been learnt that while in school he became friends with a certain David Headley — also known as Daood Gilani — who was later convicted of planning the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Rana then moved to Canada in 1997, and was eventually granted Canadian citizenship.
He later established a consultancy firm called First World Immigration Services in Chicago. As per investigations, it was a branch of this business in Mumbai that provided Headley with the perfect cover to identify and survey potential targets for the LeT.
In October 2009, he was arrested by American police on the charges of plotting the 26/11 attack.
Based off of Headley’s statement, Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
How Rana helped Headley for 26/11
After his arrest, Rana admitted to knowing that the LeT was a terrorist organisation and that his ‘childhood friend’ David Headley had attended training camps that the group operated in Pakistan.
As per a US document, Headley had received instructions from Lashkar in late 2005 to travel to India and conduct surveillance. The document adds that in early 2006 Headley then along with two Lashkar members discussed opening an immigration office in Mumbai as a cover for his activities.
US authorities have stated that Headley then informed Rana of his assignment and they decided that they would use Rana’s First World Office as a cover.
“Rana then directed an individual associated with First World to prepare documents supporting Headley’s cover story and advised Headley how to obtain a visa for travel to India, according to Headley’s testimony, as well as e-mails and other documents that corroborated his account,” it said.
Rana also provided financial support to Headley, paying him Rs 67,605 in October 2006, $500 in November 2006, Rs 17,636 a few days later, and $1,000 in December 2006.
In 2021, the extradition of Tahawwur Rana began in in the court of Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian in Los Angeles. AP
Extradition to India
In June 2020, Rana was re-arrested in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks, soon after he had been released from prison on health grounds.
In July 2021, the United States administration requested a federal court in Los Angeles to extradite Pakistani-origin Canadian terrorist Tahawwur Rana to India.
This was opposed by Rana arguing that he has previously been acquitted of the offences for which his extradition is sought.
In a submission before the US District Court, Central District of California in Los Angeles, the Biden administration, however, argued that the extradition request filed by Indians have necessary evidence on each of the criminal charges for which India seeks Rana’s extradition.
The submissions to the court by the Biden administration said that based on the evidence submitted by India, Tahawwur Rana committed fraud against the Indian government through the creation and submission of forged documents.
Extradition process
India has signed an extradition treaty with the US. According to the US-India treaty, extradition shall not be granted if the offence for which extradition is requested is a political offence.
The treaty also states that all requests for extradition shall be submitted through the diplomatic channel and be supported by required documents, statements, information describing the facts of the offense, statements of the relevant provisions of the law regarding the offense as well as the punishment, a copy of the warrant or the order of arrest, and such information as would justify the committal for trial of the person in the requested state.
In 2018, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that it had been able to secure the return of 66 fugitives since 2002 — nine of them from the US.
With inputs from agencies
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