Aaj Ki Janta

In a significant breakthrough in the pursuit of justice for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the United States has extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India. Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian national and former Pakistan Army officer, was formally arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday after arriving in India, following the exhaustion of all legal options to resist extradition.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the development in a statement on Friday, reaffirming Washington’s longstanding commitment to supporting India in its efforts to hold those responsible for the horrific attacks accountable. “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’ve long sought justice for the 166 people, including 6 Americans, who lost their lives in these attacks. I’m glad that day has come,” Rubio posted on X.

Rana’s extradition marks a milestone in Indo-US counterterrorism cooperation, especially in connection to the attacks that shook the world and claimed 166 lives. A statement from the US Justice Department described Rana as a “convicted terrorist” and noted that he faces trial in India on 10 criminal charges linked to his role in facilitating the attacks, particularly in aiding David Coleman Headley, his childhood friend and a key Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative.

According to the Justice Department, Rana allegedly enabled Headley—an American citizen—to pose as a business executive to conduct surveillance of targets in Mumbai ahead of the attack. He is accused of creating a fraudulent cover by opening a branch of his Chicago-based immigration firm in Mumbai and appointing Headley as the manager. Rana also allegedly assisted Headley in obtaining Indian visas through documents that contained false information.

Over a span of more than two years, Rana and Headley reportedly met multiple times in Chicago, where Headley shared details of his reconnaissance missions, updates from LeT, and future attack plans.

Rubio emphasized that the extradition is part of broader counterterrorism cooperation. “As President Trump has said, the United States and India will continue to work together to combat the global scourge of terrorism,” he added.

Rana’s arrival and arrest in India signify a long-awaited step in bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage to justice, reigniting hope among the families of the victims, including those of the six Americans who perished in the attacks.