Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 9: Mumbai Police announced on Wednesday that any decision on taking custody of 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana will depend on the specific grounds outlined in the extradition order once he is brought to India.
Reports indicate that Rana is being extradited from the United States in connection with a conspiracy case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2009 related to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
As per the Mumbai Crime Branch, a criminal conspiracy case against Rana was originally filed by the NIA in Delhi following the devastating November 2008 attacks that claimed over 160 lives. The extradition process is ongoing in connection with that case. However, officials clarified that it is still unclear whether Mumbai Police will seek custody for any local investigation related to the attacks.
“Only after reviewing the grounds of extradition will it be clear whether custody can be requested by the Mumbai Crime Branch in this matter,” sources revealed.
Sources further noted that the Mumbai Police has not yet received any formal communication about Rana’s transfer to the city for questioning or judicial proceedings.
Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national, was convicted in the United States for aiding the banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and providing material support to those responsible for the Mumbai attacks, which killed over 174 people.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed his support for the US Supreme Court’s decision to extradite Rana, a key figure in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Speaking at the News 18 Rising Bharat Summit 2025, he remarked, “There’s nothing really new that I can say on the Tahawwur Rana issue. Obviously, we welcome the decision of the American legal process.”
The statement followed the US Supreme Court’s ruling on April 7, 2025, rejecting Rana’s plea to stay his extradition to India. The US SC order, dated April 7, 2025, confirmed, “The application for stay addressed to The Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied.”
Earlier, Justice Elena Kagan of the US Supreme Court had denied a similar plea in March. His request was circulated among the justices during a conference held on April 4, as noted by the court’s official website.
In his previous application, Rana argued that his declining health, including a 3.5 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm at immediate risk of rupture, Parkinson’s disease with cognitive decline, and a mass suggestive of bladder cancer, would prevent him from surviving long enough to face trial in India. He also claimed that he could not be sent into a “hornet’s nest,” where he would be targeted due to national, religious, and cultural animosity.