‘Big Step Towards Ensuring Justice’: Jaishankar Lauds US Cooperation On Tahawwur Rana’s Extradition

<p>External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has termed the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India as &ldquo;a big step in ensuring justice&rdquo; for the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The Pakistan-born Canadian national, who had been in US custody, was recently extradited following the completion of legal proceedings under the India-US Extradition Treaty.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Appreciate the counter-terrorism cooperation between our two countries. This is indeed a big step in ensuring justice for the victims of 26/11 attacks,&rdquo; Jaishankar said in a post on X, acknowledging the United States&rsquo; support.</p>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”>
<p dir=”ltr” lang=”en”>Appreciate the counter-terrorism cooperation between our two countries. This is indeed a big step in ensuring justice for the victims of 26/11 attacks. <a href=”https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@SecRubio</a> <a href=”https://t.co/7jRRbfleyo”>https://t.co/7jRRbfleyo</a></p>
&mdash; Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) <a href=”https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1910720105530409166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<p>US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also posted on X, highlighting Washington&rsquo;s commitment to bringing perpetrators of terrorism to justice. &ldquo;We extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India to face charges for his role in planning the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Together, with India, we&rsquo;ve long sought justice for the 166 people, including 6 Americans, who lost their lives in these attacks. I&rsquo;m glad that day has come,&rdquo; Rubio wrote.</p>
<p>The extradition followed sustained cooperation between Indian intelligence agencies and US authorities, with Rana having exhausted all legal remedies to contest his transfer to India.</p>
<p>Soon after Rana landed in Delhi, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that Washington had extradited Rana &ldquo;to face justice for his role in planning the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.&rdquo; She added, &ldquo;The United States has long supported India&rsquo;s efforts to ensure those responsible for these attacks are brought to justice, and as President Trump has said, the United States and India will continue to work together to combat the global scourge of terrorism.&rdquo;</p>
<p>A statement from the US Department of Justice noted that Rana is a convicted terrorist and is facing several charges in India. The Department underscored the gravity of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, calling them &ldquo;among the most horrific and catastrophic in India&rsquo;s history.&rdquo;</p>
<h3><strong>NIA Investigation Into 26/11 Mumbai Blasts Case</strong></h3>
<p>According to sources cited by news agency PTI, the investigation is being led by National Investigation Agency (NIA) Deputy Inspector General Jaya Roy, who is also serving as the Chief Investigating Officer. Rana will remain in NIA custody for 18 days, during which he will be extensively interrogated to uncover the full conspiracy behind the 26/11 attacks.</p>
<p>The NIA informed the court that David Coleman Headley, listed as Accused No. 1, had discussed the entire operation with Rana before visiting India. Anticipating potential complications, Headley emailed Rana details of his assets and belongings and also informed him about the involvement of Pakistani nationals Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman in the plot.</p>
<p>The court has directed the NIA to conduct medical check-ups of Rana every 24 hours and permit him to meet his lawyer every alternate day. The judge also ruled that Rana can only use a soft-tip pen and may meet his counsel in the presence of NIA officials, who must remain out of audible range during the interaction.</p>
<p>Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan and Special Public Prosecutor Narender Mann represented the NIA in court. The anti-terror agency had registered the case on 11 November 2009 under Section 121A of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (formerly Indian Penal Code), Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and Section 6(2) of the SAARC Convention (Suppression of Terrorism) Act.</p>
<p>Rana faces multiple charges including criminal conspiracy, murder, commission of terrorist acts, and forgery.</p>
<p>According to PTI, officials said the NIA&rsquo;s probe has revealed the involvement of key leaders from terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI), including Hafiz Muhammad Saeed alias Tayyaji, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajjid Majid alias Wasi, Ilyas Kashmiri, and Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed alias Major Abdurrehman alias Pasha. The investigation also pointed to active collusion with Pakistan&rsquo;s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officers, namely Major Iqbal alias Major Ali and Major Sameer Ali alias Major Samir.</p>