In November 2008, Mumbai witnessed a dastardly attack that killed 166 people and over 238 were injured. The terror attack targetted Taj Mahal hotel, Leopold Cafe, CST railway station and surrounding locations.

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On Thursday (Apr 10), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) successfully extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, from US.

Rana's role in 26/11 Mumbai terror attack:

It was during David Headley's interrogation that Rana's role in the attacks came to the fore. Headley, a Pakistani-American terrorist, mentioned that he had visited India between 2007 and 2008. He highlighted that he visited India five times and his visa was facilitated by his childhood friend Rana. This was done under the guise of an immigration consultancy.

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Headley visited India to carry out his recce to help execute the attack in financial capital Mumbai, which was later carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists. Rana, who was born in Pakistan, had also served in the army in the medical corps, after which he moved on to doing business in the US.

Also read: 'Tahawwur Rana should be hanged', says brother of 26/11 hero Tukaram Omble

Conviction in the US:

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Rana had been serving his 14-year sentence in a US jail since 2013, he was later released in 2020 on medical grounds.

In 2023, a US court approved his extradition to India, Rana remained in jail for government clearances. In February 2025, as Trump assumed his second term in office, he approved the extradition after meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A statement released by the agency mentions, "NIA had secured Rana’s extradition following years of sustained and concerted efforts, and after the terror mastermind’s last-ditch efforts to get a stay on his extradition from the US failed."