The US Department of Justice, which released two photos of Rana’s handover, called the extradition a step toward justice
The 2008 Mumbai terror attacks co-conspirator Tahawwur Rana was shackled when he was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Los Angeles, a US Department of Justice (DoJ) photo of the handover showed. The shackles appear to have been removed when a special plane carrying Rana landed in Delhi on Thursday, as seen in the photo the NIA released.
The DoJ, which released two photos of the handover with a statement on Thursday, called Rana’s extradition “a critical step toward seeking justice for the six Americans and scores of other victims who were killed in the heinous attacks”. One of the photos showed a chained Rana being handed over to the Indian team.
The DoJ statement said the US Marshals Service executed a warrant by surrendering Rana to Indian authorities for transportation to India. “Rana’s extradition is now complete.”
The statement said convicted terrorist Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, was extradited to stand trial in India on 10 criminal charges stemming from his alleged role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
Rana, a former Pakistan Army captain, was on Thursday sent in 18-day NIA custody for interrogation on the Mumbai attacks conspiracy, handlers based in Pakistan, reconnaissance missions his friend David Coleman Headley and others undertook before the attacks, officials familiar with the matter said.
Rana contested India’s request for his extradition for almost five years. “On May 16, 2023, a US magistrate judge in the central district of California certified Rana’s extradition to India. Rana then filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, which the US district court in the central district of California denied on August 10, 2023.”
The DoJ said the US Supreme Court denied Rana’s petition for certiorari on January 21, 2025. “The Secretary of State [Marco Rubio] issued a warrant ordering Rana’s surrender to Indian authorities.” On April 7, the US Supreme Court denied Rana’s application for a stay of extradition.
The DoJ said the Federal Bureau of Investigation legal attaché office in New Delhi was among those that assisted in the extradition. Officials in Delhi said senior advocate Dayan Krishnan assisted the extradition proceedings and will appear for NIA in a Delhi court as well.
The DoJ said Rana is charged in India for conspiracy, murder, commission of a terrorist act, and forgery, related to his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. It said the designated foreign terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) committed the attacks.
Ten LeT terrorists carried out a series of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks in Mumbai between November 26 and 29, 2008, infiltrating the city by sea and breaking into teams that dispersed to multiple locations. “Attackers at a train station fired guns and threw grenades into crowds. Attackers at two restaurants shot indiscriminately at patrons. Attackers at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel gunned people down and detonated explosives. Attackers also shot and killed people at a Jewish community centre,” the DoJ statement said. “When the terror finally subsided, 166 victims, including six Americans, were dead, along with all but one of the LeT terrorists.”
The statement said hundreds more were injured, and Mumbai sustained more than $1.5 billion in property damage. “The attacks were among the most horrific and catastrophic in India’s history.”
Rana is accused of facilitating a cover for Headley, a US citizen born Daood Gilani, to travel to Mumbai for the reconnaissance of potential attack sites for LeT.
The DoJ said India alleges Headley received training from LeT members in Pakistan and was in direct communication with the group about plans to attack Mumbai. “…Rana allegedly agreed to open a Mumbai branch of his immigration business and appoint Headley as the manager of the office, despite Headley’s having no immigration experience.”
The statement said Rana allegedly helped Headley prepare and submit visa applications to Indian authorities that contained information he knew to be false. “Rana also allegedly supplied, through his unsuspecting business partner, documentation in support of Headley’s attempt to secure formal approval from Indian authorities to open a branch office of Rana’s business.”
The statement said for over two years, Headley allegedly repeatedly met with Rana in Chicago and described his surveillance activities on behalf of LeT, its responses to Headley’s activities, and potential plans for attacking Mumbai. It added that after the attacks, Rana allegedly told Headley that the Indians deserved it. “In an intercepted conversation with Headley, Rana allegedly commended the nine LeT terrorists who had been killed committing the attacks, saying that ‘they should be given Nishan-e-Haider’—Pakistan’s highest award for gallantry in battle,’ which is reserved for fallen soldiers.”
