New Delhi

India produced evidence in the US court about Tahawwur Rana’s close association with David Coalman Headley, who is serving a 35-year jail term after he was indicted in the Mumbai terrorist attacks, 26/11, and the Denmark terrorist attacks.

In Mumbai, 166 persons, including citizens of five countries, were killed by 10-member Lashkar—e—Toiba group. 

Pakistan-American David Coalman Hardley, who visited and worked in India as Daood Gilani, turned approver in the court and testified against Rana in the Denmark attack case. Rana, a Pakistan-born Canadian who lived in Chicago, USA, was sentenced to 14 years in jail for his role in the Denmark terror attack by the US Court.

Tahawwur Rana was sentenced last week to 14 years in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to the Denmark terror plot and providing material support to Lashkar. Headley testified for the government at Rana’s trial in June 2011.

Rana was convicted of providing material assistance to Headley in November 2008 in executing a Lashkar plot to conduct surveillance of the Copenhagen and Aarhus offices of the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten in preparation for an attack in retaliation for the newspaper’s publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. 

NIA had produced the following evidence in the US court linking David Headley with Tahawwur Rana:

Hadley had advised Rana of his assignment to scout potential targets in India.

Headley obtained Rana’s consent to open an office of First World Immigration Services as a cover for his activities.

Rana advised Headley on how to obtain a visa for travel to India;

Headley and Rana had reviewed how Headley had done surveillance of the targets that were attacked in Mumbai.

Rana told Headley that the terrorists involved in the Mumbai attacks should receive Pakistan’s highest military honours posthumously.

However,  the Indian government expressed disappointment over the acquittal of Tahawwur Hussain Rana by a US Court on the count of conspiracy to provide material support to the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

The Home Ministry said: “Government has taken note of the verdict announced by a US District Court in the Tahawwur Hussain Rana case following the finding by the jury that Rana was guilty on two of three counts. Rana has been found guilty on one count of ‘conspiracy to provide material support to the terrorism plot in Denmark’ and on one count of ‘providing material support to the Lashkar e Tayyiba (LeT)’.

The jury acquitted Rana of conspiracy to provide material support to the Mumbai terror attacks.

Born in Pakistan, Tahawwur Hussein Rana was once a doctor in the Pakistani Army before immigrating to Canada and later settling in Chicago. It was in Chicago that he established a travel and immigration services business, which, unbeknownst to many, allegedly served as a front for terrorist activities.

His involvement with David Coleman Headley, the Pakistani-American terrorist and key planner of the 26/11 attacks, has been well-documented. Headley and Rana were childhood friends in Pakistan and continued their association in the US, where they plotted the Mumbai attacks that shook India and the world.

Rana allegedly facilitated Headley’s reconnaissance missions in Mumbai by using his business as a cover. Headley traveled to India multiple times under the guise of operating the Mumbai branch of Rana's immigration agency, First World Immigration Services.

During these trips, he allegedly conducted extensive surveillance of key locations, which were later targeted by the terrorists. Rana also allegedly assisted in securing visas for Headley and coordinated the logistics for his travels, making it easier for the latter to reportedly gather crucial intelligence for the attacks.

Rana’s extradition marks the conclusion of a long legal battle in the United States.

Indian authorities had been pursuing Rana’s extradition for years. The breakthrough came after a diplomatic push, beginning with a formal request from India in December 2019. The US agreed to extradite him following the rejection of his final legal appeal in April 2025, and the extradition process moved swiftly after US President Donald Trump confirmed the decision during a press briefing earlier this year.

Once in India, Rana will be taken into custody by the NIA and interrogated for the first time regarding his involvement in the 26/11 attacks. He may be questioned at NIA headquarters in Delhi, with heightened security measures in place to ensure his safe custody.

A high-security ward at Tihar Jail in Delhi has been designated for his initial confinement. It is also possible that he may be moved to Mumbai or other secure facilities depending on ongoing security evaluations.

Rana’s interrogation is expected to provide crucial insights into the role of other key conspirators, including the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, which is believed to have played a central role in orchestrating the attacks.

Investigators are particularly keen to extract information about Major Iqbal and Major Sameer Ali, two ISI officers who are believed to have masterminded the terror plot along with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives.

The 26/11 attacks

The 26/11 Mumbai attacks were one of the deadliest and most brazen acts of terrorism in India’s history. Ten Pakistani terrorists, armed with assault rifles and grenades, launched coordinated attacks on multiple locations in Mumbai over more than 60 hours.

Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive, was later tried and convicted for his role in the attacks. He was executed in 2012. However, many of the masterminds and facilitators behind the attacks, including those operating from Pakistan, have yet to be brought to justice, with Rana’s extradition marking a significant step in the ongoing pursuit of accountability for the tragedy.

The role of Rana’s testimony

Once in India, Rana’s testimony is expected to shed light on the operational and financial aspects of the 26/11 attacks. His interrogation could provide critical information about the Pakistani handlers who directed the attacks, including ISI officials and senior figures in Lashkar-e-Taiba. Investigators will also focus on Rana’s travels in India, including visits to cities like Mumbai, Agra, Kochi, and Ahmedabad, just days before the attacks.

Indian authorities hope that Rana’s cooperation will help uncover the full extent of the cross-border conspiracy. His extradition marks a victory in the global fight against terrorism and brings a sense of justice to the victims and families affected by the 26/11 attacks.

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The extradition represents an important moment in the long-awaited pursuit of justice for the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. As the legal and investigative process continues, Rana’s testimony may hold the key to unraveling the full scope of the international conspiracy that led to the tragic events of November 26, 2008.