New Delhi: A special flight carrying 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana has departed from the United States and is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Thursday afternoon, according to media reports.
Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, will be formally arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) upon arrival. Indian officials flew to the US earlier this week following confirmation of a surrender warrant for Rana’s extradition.
The US Supreme Court recently rejected Rana’s plea to block the extradition, dismissing his claims of potential torture in India and health risks. His last-ditch effort to stay the order was denied in March.
Rana is a known associate of David Coleman Headley, the Pakistani-American terrorist who helped plot the 2008 Mumbai attacks and later turned approver. While Rana was acquitted in the US of direct involvement in 26/11, he was convicted for providing support to Lashkar-e-Taiba and aiding a separate terror plot in Denmark.
The 26/11 attacks left 166 people dead across multiple Mumbai landmarks, including the Taj Hotel, CST railway station, and Oberoi Trident, marking one of the deadliest terror strikes in India’s history.
