The National Investigation Agency (NIA) in its first statement on the successful extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Tahawwur Hussain Rana recalled years of "sustained and concerted efforts to bring the key conspirator behind the 2008 mayhem to justice."
"Rana was being held in judicial custody in the US pursuant to proceedings initiated under the India-US Extradition Treaty for his extradition. The extradition finally came through after Rana exhausted all legal avenues to stay the move," India's top anti-terror agency which was formed after the 26/11 attacks said in the statement today.
The District Court for the Central District of California had ordered Tahawwur Hussain Rana extradition on May 16, 2023.
The terrorist then filed multiple litigations in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, all of which were rejected. He subsequently filed a petition for a writ of certiorari, two habeas petitions, and an emergency application before the US Supreme Court, which were also denied, the NIA said.
The extradition proceedings were initiated between the two countries after India eventually secured a surrender warrant for the wanted terrorist from the US government.
"With the active assistance of US DoJ, the US Sky Marshal, NIA worked closely with other Indian intelligence agencies, NSG through the entire extradition process, which also saw India's Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs coordinating with the other relevant authorities in the United States to take the matter to its successful conclusion," the NSG said.
Tahawwur Hussain Rana allegedly conspired with David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani, and operatives of terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI) along with other Pakistan-based co-conspirators to carry out the devastating terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008.
A total of 166 people were killed and over 238 injured in the attacks.
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