New Delhi, April 9 Union Home Minister Amit Shah has lauded the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, as a defining triumph for the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Tahawwur Rana's extradition is a big success of Prime Minister Modi’s diplomacy,” said the Home Minister.
Speaking at a programme organised by a leading media outlet, Home Minister Shah highlighted the significance of this achievement, crediting Prime Minister Modi's diplomatic skill and steadfast commitment to protecting India's honour and sovereignty.
"He will be brought here to face trial and punishment," HM Shah affirmed.
HM Shah proclaimed that Rana’s repatriation signifies a decisive stride toward holding accountable those who conspire against the sanctity of India’s land, its people, and its pride.
This achievement marks a turning point in the global pursuit of justice against terrorism.
Rana's extradition heralds the opening chapter of long-awaited legal proceedings that shall endeavour to bring resolution to one of the gravest violence episodes in India’s contemporary history.
A Canadian-American of Pakistani origin Tahawwur Rana, stands accused of orchestrating the heinous 2008 Mumbai attacks that tragically claimed the lives of more than 166 individuals.
The US has formally ceded custody of the 64-year-old suspect to the National Investigative Agency (NIA) of India, following protracted legal wrangling and a series of high-level diplomatic negotiations.
On April 8, 2025, in the state of California, Rana was officially handed over to an NIA delegation that had journeyed to the United States specifically for this purpose.
He is currently en-route to New Delhi aboard a chartered Indian aircraft, whereupon his trial shall soon commence.
It is reported that Rana had exhausted every legal option in his endeavour to obstruct the extradition, including multiple appeals to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Nevertheless, his pleas were twice rebuffed, most recently on April 7, as his arguments citing deteriorating health and fears of persecution in India failed to convince the court.
Among his claims were ailments such as Parkinson's disease, a precarious abdominal aneurysm, and indications of bladder cancer, which, he contended, rendered him incapable of enduring a protracted trial.
This extradition honours a prior assurance extended by former US President Donald Trump in his discourse with Prime Minister Modi.
Rana, an associate of David Coleman Headley — a central figure in the planning of the Mumbai attacks — is alleged to possess links with entities such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Though a US jury acquitted him of directly supporting the 26/11 attacks, he was convicted on other charges and served over a decade in prison before his release during the Covid-19 pandemic on account of his waning health. Subsequently, he was re-arrested for extradition to India, culminating in the present development.
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