Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday praised the successful extradition of Tahawwur Rana—an accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks—from the United States to India. He said Rana’s interrogation could be pivotal in uncovering the entire conspiracy behind the devastating attacks that claimed 166 lives over three days.
Rana, a 64-year-old Canadian national of Pakistani origin, arrived in Delhi on Thursday evening aboard a special aircraft from Los Angeles. Following his arrival, a special court remanded him to the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for 18 days.
Rana is alleged to have conspired with David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, and Pakistan-based terrorist outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HUJI). He is believed to have played a critical role in the planning and facilitation of the coordinated terror strikes that paralyzed Mumbai from November 26 to 29, 2008.
“During the 26/11 attacks, we all were in Mumbai, it was a very serious incident. … Now, we have caught this person (Tahawwur Rana), and he can reveal who was the real mastermind behind the incident, who directed him to commit such an act. After getting all this information, we can take further action”, Pawar told reporters in Pune.
Expressing hope that Rana’s questioning would shed light on key details of the operation, Pawar emphasized the importance of identifying the masterminds and understanding the motives behind the attacks.
He also reflected on his presence in Mumbai during the horrific events, along with then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Home Minister R. R. Patil.
“After the operation, we visited all the attack sites. A probe was launched to identify the masterminds. Now that this man (Rana) has been extradited to India, it will come to light who were behind the attacks, on whose orders he acted and what their objective was”, he said.
Rana’s extradition marks a major milestone in India’s pursuit of justice for the victims of 26/11, and authorities hope it will finally help unmask the full extent of the transnational conspiracy that fueled one of the worst terror attacks in Indian history.
