Who Is Narendra Mann, The Special Public Prosecutor In Tahawwur Rana Case

Ahead of Tahawwur Rana's extradition, the Centre has appointed Advocate Narendra Mann as the Special Public Prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a gazette notification on Wednesday, saying Mr Mann's appointment was for three years or until the completion of the trial - whichever comes earlier.

Who is Narendra Mann?

Narendra Mann is a legal professional. He has represented the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in various high-profile cases, one of which was the 2018 Staff Selection Commission (SSC) paper leak scandal, as per reports.

Mr Mann's appointment came ahead of the 64-year-old Pakistani-origin Canadian's extradition to India. The key accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks was arrested in the US in 2009. He is expected to land in Delhi this afternoon and will reportedly be kept in a high-security ward at Tihar Jail.

Rana is a former Pakistani Army doctor who later moved to Canada and became a citizen there. He ran an immigration services business in Chicago, which was allegedly used as a front to facilitate Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives.

He has been accused of playing a key role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed close to 170 people and injured hundreds.

Rana is known to be a close associate of David Coleman Headley, the Pakistani-American terrorist who conducted reconnaissance missions in Mumbai before the attacks. Headley had confessed that he posed as a representative of Rana's business to gain access to key locations like hotels and public places that were later targeted by the terrorists.

According to US court records, Rana helped Headley obtain fake business credentials, which allowed him to travel freely in India under a business pretext. This cover enabled Headley to survey potential attack sites for LeT.

Rana was arrested in the US in 2009. In 2011, a US court convicted him for providing material support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba in a separate Denmark terror plot. He was not convicted for his role in the Mumbai attacks due to insufficient evidence presented at that time.

In 2020, India formally requested his extradition after new evidence came to light through Headley's testimonies and NIA investigations. A US court approved the extradition in 2023, and Rana is being handed over to Indian authorities now.