'Justice For 26/11 Victims': What US Said on Tahawwur Rana's Successful Extradition

New Delhi: The successful extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana is a big move towards delivering justice for the six American citizens and many others who lost their lives in the "brutal and senseless attacks," the US Department of Justice said on Thursday in its first official statement on the matter.  

Speaking to a leading website, senior Department of Justice official Nicole Navas Oxman said the United States had extradited convicted terrorist Tahawwur Hussain Rana to stand trial in India on 10 criminal charges related to his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. 

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, touched down in Delhi around 6:30 pm on Thursday aboard a special flight from the United States.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) formally arrested him moments after his arrival — a milestone moment that marks a major diplomatic and legal victory for India in its steadfast pursuit of justice for the 26/11 carnage that killed 166 people.

Rana, 64, a Pakistani-origin terrorist and Canadian national, was brought in under tight security by NSG commandos and NIA officials. Dressed in brown prison overalls and a grey undershirt, his long grey beard and somber face conveyed the gravity of the moment. Still wearing his prison uniform from the US, his arrival presented a powerful image — one of justice catching up with a long-evading conspirator.

His extradition closes a years-long legal tussle and reaffirms India’s vow to bring every architect of the Mumbai attacks to justice, no matter where they hide.

The first visuals of a subdued, shackled Rana on Indian soil serve as a chilling yet resolute message: justice may take time, but it never forgets.

In a statement, the NIA confirmed: “The NIA investigation team at the airport arrested Tahawwur Rana — a Canadian national of Pakistani origin who was residing in Chicago — immediately after he deboarded the flight, following all due legal procedures.”