New Delhi: A day after handing over Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the key conspirator of deadly Mumbai terror attacks, the United States on Thursday said that Rana’s extradition to India was a critical step toward seeking justice for the six Americans and scores of other victims who were killed in the 26/11 attacks.
In a press release on the issue, US Department of Justice said India’s pending proceedings against Rana are not the first proceedings in which he has been accused of conspiring to commit violent acts of terrorism. In 2013, Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison following his trial conviction in the Northern District of Illinois for conspiring to provide material support to LeT and to a foiled LeT-sponsored terrorist plot in Copenhagen, Denmark.
After being brought to India, Rana was sent to 18-day custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday early morning.
In an intercepted conversation, Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, allegedly told David Headley that the Indians “deserved’ 26/11 attacks, and also sought the attackers should be honoured with Pakistan’s highest gallantry award.
“Rana allegedly commended the nine LeT terrorists who had been killed committing the attacks, saying that “[t]hey should be given Nishan-e-Haider”— Pakistan’s “highest award for gallantry in battle,” which is reserved for fallen soldiers,” read the press release by the US DoJ.
After being brought to India, Rana was sent to 18-day custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday early morning. The central probe agency is set to question Rana to unravel the conspiracy behind the deadly 26/11 terror strike and his role as a planner of the attacks after a court here granted the agency his 18-day custody early Friday.
