Delhi Court Extends NIA Custody Of Mumbai Terror Attack Accused Tahawwur Rana For 12 Days

A Delhi Court on Monday extended for 12 days the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody remand of Mumbai 26/11 terror attack accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana.

Special NIA judge Chander Jit Singh of Patiala House Courts passed the order after Rana was produced in Court amid tight security.

NIA sought extension of remand on the ground that Rana had to be confronted with various evidences, including voluminous documents and that his further interrogation was necessary.

The Central Government has appointed special public prosecutor Narender Mann to conduct the trial in the case. NIA is also represented by Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan.

Advocate Piyush Sachdeva, legal aid counsel, represented Rana.

Earlier this month, Rana was remanded to 18 days of NIA custody. He was produced late in the night before the NIA Court amid heavy security following his extradition from the U.S.

Rana was formally arrested by NIA today on his arrival at IGI airport.

As per a press release issued by NIA today, 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 NIA has said.

“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 U.S. 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,” the press release states.

It adds: “With the active assistance of USDOJ, the US Sky Marshal, 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 a Pakistan born Canadian national and is alleged to be a close associate of David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani, a U.S. citizen and one of the main conspirators of the Mumbai terror attacks.

On November 26, 2008, a group of 10 Pakistani terrorists went on a rampage and carried out a coordinated attack on a railway station, two luxury hotels and a Jewish centre in Mumbai.

They had sneaked into Mumbai using the sea route in the Arabian Sea.