Shocking Congress Goes on Kangaroo Court Song For Terrorist And 26/11 Mastermind Tahawwur Rana

New Delhi: In a shocking statement, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday said that terrorist and 26/11 mastermind Tahawwur Rana, who has been extradited from the United States to India, must receive a fair trial and the right to appeal in the country. Chavan, appearing to advocate for the terrorist's civic rights, stated that Rana should be granted a fair trial, similar to the one given to 26/11 attacker Ajmal Kasab. He further remarked that a 'kangaroo court' will not operate in this country, as the entire world will be observing India.

Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national, was found guilty while working for the banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and convicted for providing material support to 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in which over 160 people were killed.

India witnessed one of its worst terror attack when 10 LeT terrorists hijacked luxury hotels including Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Oberoi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Station, two hospitals and a theatre in Mumbai and took people hostage on November 26, 2008.

It took two days for the security forces to control the situation as they neutralised nine terrorists and arresting one, however, by then, at least 160 people had lost their lives.

Tahawwur Rana was named accused in the Mumbai terror attack for supplying material and other required logistics to the handlers on the ground.

After Donald Trump 's came to power in White House and assumed his second term, his administration approved Rana's extradition to India. Though the terrorist did appeal for a stay on his extradition, the United States Supreme Court rejected his plea on April 7.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had lodged a criminal case against Tahawwur Rana after the deadly terror attack. India provided several credible evidence to the United States to secure Tahawwur Rana's extradition. 

Rana's extradition to India is a step forward to give justice to the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks.

The NIA formally arrested Tahawwur Hussain Rana immediately after his arrival at IGIA, New Delhi, following his successful extradition from the United States.

Rana was escorted to New Delhi by teams of NSG and NIA, comprising senior officials, on a special plane from Los Angeles, US.  The NIA investigation team at the airport arrested Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin living primarily in Chicago (US), soon after he emerged from the airplane, after completing all the necessary legal formalities.

As the government tried hard to bring the dreaded terrorist to book him for waging war against India, a leader of India's Grand Old Party Congress and former Maharashtra Chief Minister, Prithviraj Chavan said, “Rana has not confessed to his crime, while David Coleman Headley has admitted to have played a role. So, the American Government decided to make Headley an informer. They have included him in their drug enforcement agency. So that drug smuggling can be checked. He is now on the American payroll. After a long battle from 2009 to 2025, today one of them is being brought back.”

"There will be a trial. We demand that just like there was a proper trial under Indian laws for Kasab, he had the right to speak for himself and have a lawyer - he was given a lawyer and he had the opportunity to appeal in High Court as well as Supreme Court. Judgement was pronounced after all of these; similarly, when there is a trial for Rana, he too should be given legal rights, and he will have to accept whatever punishment is given to him. A kangaroo court will not function in our country because the whole world will witness this trial. According to India's laws, the trial will take place. I want to congratulate all the officials and politicians involved in this," Prithviraj Chauhan added.

After being extradited to India, an arrest memo was signed at the Palam Air Base for terrorist Tahawwur Rana under IPC sections 120B, 121, 121A, 302, 468, 471 And section 16,18,20 of UAPA act. According to reports, Rana will be first brought to the NIA court.