Tahawwur Rana’s Extradition Poised to Strengthen India’s Case on Pakistan’s Role in 26/11 Attacks

NEW DELHI:
In a major breakthrough that could further expose Pakistan’s involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Tahawwur Rana’s extradition to India is expected to serve as a pivotal link in unveiling the full extent of the conspiracy.

Indian authorities have long maintained that Pakistan’s state and non-state actors were complicit in the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks, which claimed over 160 lives and left hundreds injured. Despite multiple dossiers and diplomatic efforts, Islamabad has repeatedly denied any official role. However, Rana’s trial and interrogation could now bring crucial evidence to the forefront.

Rana, a former Pakistani military doctor turned businessman, is closely associated with David Coleman Headley (alias Daood Sayed Gilani), the key operative who carried out reconnaissance for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) ahead of the attacks. Headley, during his 2016 deposition to a Mumbai court via video conference from the US, directly implicated Rana in facilitating his terror-linked operations in India.

Headley stated that Rana not only allowed him to set up a fake business front—First World Immigration Services—in Mumbai but also helped with travel documentation and provided financial and logistical support for his missions. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in its charge sheet, noted Rana’s role in enabling Headley to survey potential targets, which included the Taj Hotel, CST Station, and other iconic sites in Mumbai.

Although Rana was acquitted in the US on charges related to the 26/11 attacks, he was convicted in 2011 for conspiring to attack a Danish newspaper and for his links with LeT. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had then confirmed his association with the Mumbai conspiracy, citing his awareness of Headley’s terror training and surveillance trips to India.

An FBI statement from January 2013 revealed that Rana, during post-arrest interrogation, admitted knowing about Headley’s association with Lashkar and his reconnaissance missions for the Mumbai attack. Emails, testimonies, and documentation all corroborated this collaboration, laying bare the operational details of the 2008 carnage.

Sources within Indian investigative agencies believe that Rana’s presence in Indian custody could help unearth further connections and lead to conclusive evidence pointing towards official complicity from Pakistani agencies. The extradition is likely to bolster India’s longstanding case at international forums, where New Delhi has continually pushed for action against those sheltering and abetting terrorism.

The case is expected to reignite global attention on the accountability of Pakistan-based terror outfits and their state sponsors. As Rana prepares to face Indian authorities, his revelations may pave the way for long-awaited justice for the victims of one of the deadliest terror strikes on Indian soil.