Tahawwur Rana, a linchpin in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166, is set to touch down in Delhi by Wednesday afternoon, ending a 16-year extradition saga from the US. A special flight carrying the Pakistan-born Canadian departed Tuesday night, escorted by Indian officials, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and NSA Ajit Doval finalizing security in a late-night huddle.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is primed to take custody the moment Rana lands, likely whisking him to Tihar Jail’s high-security wing—barring any last-minute switch to Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail. “No cell biryani for him,” quipped 26/11 hero Devendra Somwanshi to NDTV, reflecting public thirst for justice. Sources say Rana faces a marathon interrogation, with NIA sleuths digging into his ties to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and ISI, plus fresh leads on David Headley’s reconnaissance of Mumbai’s iconic targets.
Rana’s role? He greenlit Headley’s trips, masking them as business for his Chicago-based firm, while LeT executed the 60-hour siege on Taj Mahal Palace, CST, and beyond. Arrested in 2009, he dodged Mumbai-specific charges in the US but lost his Supreme Court plea this week. “A special court awaits—he’ll answer for every minute,” an NIA officer told Hindustan Times. Posts on X buzz with sentiment—one user noted, “From ISI doc to terror plotter, his mask is off.”
Security’s airtight: SWAT commandos will shadow his convoy, with Delhi and Mumbai jails prepped discreetly per US handover terms. The timing—post-Trump’s tariff chaos—adds heft to Indo-US ties, cemented during Modi’s February visit. Yet, as Rana nears, a quiet question hangs: will his grilling crack Pakistan’s wall of denial, or just stir old wounds?
