‘Key conspirator behind 2008 mayhem’: NIA says Tahawwur Rana extradited and arrested, releases first photo

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a ‘key conspirator behind 2008 mayhem’, was successfully extradited and arrested, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Thursday, as a special flight carrying the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind arrived in Delhi.

NIA said that Rana was escorted to New Delhi by teams of NSG and NIA, comprising senior officials, on a special plane from Los Angeles.

“The NIA investigation team at the airport arrested Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin living primarily in Chicago (US), soon after he emerged from the airplane, after completing all the necessary legal formalities,” said the agency.

Rana has been accused of being involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which over 160 people were killed.

With the coordinated efforts of India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs, the NIA said, “Along with the relevant authorities in the United States, NIA worked closely with other Indian intelligence agencies through the entire extradition process.”

Rana has been brought to India after his last-ditch attempt to evade extradition failed as the US Supreme Court justices rejected his application.

As many as 166 people were killed after a group of 10 Pakistani terrorists went on a rampage on November 26, 2008, in a coordinated attack in India's financial capital.

Here is NIA's full statement

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday successfully secured the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the mastermind of the deadly 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, after 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.

The District Court for the Central District of California had ordered his extradition on 16th May 2023. Rana 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 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 USDoJ, the US Sky Marshal, the 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.

Rana is accused of conspiring with David Coleman Headley @ Daood Gilani, and operatives of designated terrorist organisations 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 persons were killed and over 238 injured in the deadly attacks.

Both LeT and HUJI have been declared as terrorist organisations by the Government of India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.''

Who is Tahawwur Rana?

Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national, was convicted in the US for being an operative of the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and providing material support to the group responsible for the Mumbai attacks that killed over 160 people in multiple terrorist attacks that began on November 26, 2008, and lasted for three days.

On April 7, the Supreme Court of the United States rejected Tahawwur Rana's plea to stay his extradition to India. Rana filed an emergency application with Chief Justice John Roberts on March 20, 2025, seeking a stay on his extradition.

"The application for stay addressed to The Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied," the SC order dated Monday, April 7, stated.

Special public prosecutor appointed

The Centre has appointed a special public prosecutor to conduct a trial in the case related to the Mumbai terror attack case accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was extradited to India on Thursday.