Tahawwur Hussain Rana's Extradition Tightens 26/11 Investigation

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, was arrested following his extradition from the US. He aided mastermind David Headley by facilitating an Indian visa and reconnaissance missions. Rana, a former Pakistani Army medical serviceman, emigrated to Canada and the US before his involvement.

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a significant figure in the 26/11 Mumbai terror case, has been formally apprehended by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after being extradited from the United States. He played a pivotal role in assisting David Coleman Headley, one of the masterminds behind the attacks, in obtaining an Indian visa, according to a Mumbai police official knowledgeable about the investigation.

Rana, who served in the Pakistan Army's medical corps before emigrating to Canada in the late 1990s, later moved to the US where he established an immigration consultancy firm in Chicago. This firm was used as a cover for Headley to conduct reconnaissance operations in Mumbai leading up to the November 2008 attacks; Rana also facilitated a ten-year visa extension for Headley, as per details revealed on Thursday.

The NIA charge sheet highlighted over 230 phone calls between Rana and Headley, underscoring his involvement. Further, Rana was in contact with 'Major Iqbal', another co-conspirator of the attacks. In November 2008, Rana himself traveled to India and discussed high-traffic areas in South Mumbai with a witness listed in the 2023 charge sheet, ensuring those locations were part of the terrorists' devastating plan that claimed 166 lives.

(With inputs from agencies.)