26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack: How David Headley's Testimony Sealed Tahawwur Rana’s Fate Ahead Of Extradition

Following the US Supreme Court's rejection of his last appeal against extradition, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who is accused of aiding the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has been deported to India for trial.

Security has been stepped up outside Delhi's Patiala House Court where he is likely to be produced on Thursday. MHA has appointed a special public prosecutor, Narender Mann, to lead the proceedings for Rana.

Photo Credit: PTI

Rana is a Canadian national of Pakistani descent who was being held in an American prison for his alleged links to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the terror group that plotted and executed the attacks from Pakistan.

The 26/11 Mumbai attacks were one of the deadliest terror offenses on Indian soil, that took place between November 26 and 29, 2008.

10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists with heavy weapons landed in Mumbai via sea and caused havoc around the city for almost 60 hours.

The Oberoi Trident, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway station, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, and Chabad House, a Jewish community center, were among the targets.

In addition to injuring almost 300 people, the attacks claimed the lives of 166, including 18 security personnel and 26 foreigners.

In addition to shocking India, the incident was widely condemned worldwide and prompted calls for justice.

Rana's alleged role in enabling the attacks was revealed in 2016 after David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American terrorist and Rana's childhood friend, was deposed.

Headley testified via video conference before a Mumbai court, detailing how Rana permitted him to conduct surveillance on Mumbai targets before the attacks by using his immigration business - First World Immigration Services - as a cover.

According to investigations by the FBI and NIA, Rana provided Headley with both financial and logistical assistance. Headley claimed Rana had approved setting up a fake office in Mumbai and provided him with immigration advice under the guise of legitimate business operations.

Phone data revealed 231 calls were exchanged between Rana and Headley during latter's eight reconnaissance trips to India from 2006 to 2008.

Furthermore, Headley disclosed that Rana had been trained by LeT and maintained connections with senior ISI officers. This linked Rana indirectly to both the terror group and Pakistan's intelligence agency.

While a U.S. judge previously cleared Rana of direct involvement in the attacks, the court acknowledged his affiliations with LeT and David Headley.