Who Is Piyush Sachdeva, Lawyer Representing Tahawwur Rana In 26/11 Case

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key conspirator and accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has been extradited to India from the US. The teams of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the National Security Guard (NSG) brought him back on a special plane from Los Angeles after a final appeal against extradition was rejected by the US Supreme Court. Upon touching down in Delhi, Rana was formally arrested by the NIA.

Since Article 22(1) of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to legal representation, Rana will be defended in the court by Advocate Piyush Sachdeva from the Delhi Legal Services Authority (DLSA).

The right to legal representation ensures fair and impartial treatment during arrest, detention, and trial. It also guarantees the right to a fair and impartial trial, to be heard and to present evidence.

Who is Advocate Piyush Sachdeva?

• The DLSA appointed advocate Piyush Sachdeva as Rana's lawyer upon the instructions of Special NIA judge Chandrajit Singh. This came after the Pakistani-Canadian citizen told the Patiala House court that he had nobody representing him.
• Mr Sachdev graduated from the ILS Law College in Pune in 2011 and went on to pursue a master's degree in International Business and Commercial Law from King's College London.
• He started his career as a legal consultant at Novire Technologies in October 2012, according to his LinkedIn profile.
• After nearly a year, he joined CGC Partners, where he's now a Senior Associate.
• He has been practising law for over a decade.

Mr Sachdeva is known in the legal circles as a talented professional with expertise in international criminal law.

Apart from Mr Sachdeva, Lakshya Dheer will also be a part of the legal team defending Mr Rana. Mr Dheer has a law degree from Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow. He started practising law in 2018 and focuses on white collar crime, commercial disputes, cyber-crimes, and fraud/risk mitigation, according to a report in HT.

The NIA will be represented by Advocate Narendra Mann, who was appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor in the case ahead of Rana's arrival in India. Mr Mann's appointment is for three years or until the completion of the trial, whichever comes earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Wednesday.