Chained on Waist and Legs, US Marshals and Tarmac Handover to NIA: First Pics of Tahawwur Rana Handover

New Delhi: Republic Media Network has accessed exclusive images of US Marshals formally handing over Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind, to Indian authorities. The handover took place on April 9 at a secure location, where Rana, dressed in a beige prison uniform and his waist and legs chained, was handed over to representatives from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

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Rana’s extradition marks a breakthrough in India’s years-long pursuit to bring key perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks to justice. The coordinated assault by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants in 2008 left 166 people dead and over 230 injured.

WATCH | ONLY ON REPUBLIC: First picture of US Marshals handing over Tahawwur Rana to NIA accessed

After 16 Years, Tahawwur Rana Dragged Back to India

Rana was flown to New Delhi from Los Angeles on a special flight accompanied by teams from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guard (NSG). His extradition followed the rejection of all his legal appeals, including an emergency petition before the US Supreme Court.

The successful operation was made possible through the combined efforts of India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and American agencies such as the US Department of Justice, FBI, and US Marshals Service.

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Rana Sent to 18-Day Custody

Upon arrival in India, Rana was arrested by the NIA and presented before a special court, which granted the agency 18 days of custody for detailed interrogation.

The agency argued that Rana’s custodial examination is critical to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy behind the attacks, particularly his links to David Coleman Headley and Pakistan-based operatives.

The NIA has cited communication exchanges between Headley and Rana—emails and other digital evidence—as part of their case to establish Rana's direct involvement in planning the assault.

Rana's extradition represents a big diplomatic and intelligence win for India in its fight against terrorism.

The NIA highlighted that despite Rana’s attempts to evade extradition, close cooperation between Indian and American agencies ensured his return.

He was earlier held in US custody under the India-US Extradition Treaty, awaiting a final decision. Now, with his arrival in India, investigators are focused on probing his role and connections to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HUJI)—both banned terrorist organizations in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.