Big diplomatic win for India: 26/11 plotter Tahawwur Rana lands in Delhi, to be lodged in Tihar jail

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a 64-year-old Pakistani-born Canadian national and one of the key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, finally landed in Delhi, India on Thursday after being extradited from the United States after a prolonged legal battle. He was handed over to Indian authorities in Los Angeles and his name has since been removed from the US Federal Bureau of Prisons' custody records, with his status marked “Not in BOP custody as of 04/08/2025.”

According to reports, security has been heightened in several areas in Delhi as Tahawwur Rana will be transported to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) headquarters in a bulletproof vehicle from the Palam airport.

The former Pakistani army personnel will be kept in a high-security ward in Tihar Jail.

In NIA custody, Rana will likely be questioned to ascertain the role of Pakistani state actors behind the 26/11 attacks. His interrogation may shed new light on the investigation.

A dedicated Indian team, including officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and intelligence agencies stationed in the US, coordinated the handover. The surrender warrant was signed off by DIG (NIA) Jaya Roy before the team departed for Delhi on Wednesday morning.

Rana to be lodged in Tihar jail

Rana is expected to be lodged in Tihar Jail under tight security. His interrogation will be carried out by a multi-agency team comprising investigators from two intelligence agencies, NIA officials, and psychologists specializing in criminology. The interrogation is set to focus on his links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) network, and Indian collaborators.

Tahawwur Rana contacted David Coleman Headley 231 times in India

According to Indian intelligence sources, Rana contacted David Coleman Headley 231 times during visits to India, with the highest number of calls made shortly before the attacks. He also conducted eight reconnaissance missions to survey possible targets. Sources within the intelligence community acknowledge that cracking Rana will be a formidable challenge, given his deep indoctrination and previous exposure to investigative procedures.

Ahead of Rana's arrival, a high-level meeting was held on Wednesday between home minister Amit Shah, NSA Ajit Doval, and foreign minister S Jaishankar to review security and strategise further action.

Meanwhile, for the trial Advocate Narender Mann has been appointed as the special public prosecutor in the NIA case involving Rana and Headley.

If shifted to Mumbai, Rana may be kept in the same high-security cell in Arthur Road Jail where Ajmal Kasab, the lone captured terrorist from 26/11, was held.

Tahawwur Rana was convicted in the US for the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives and providing material support to the group responsible for the Mumbai attacks that killed over 174 people.