“Positive development”: Foreign Affairs expert on extradition of Tahawwur Rana

Foreign Affairs Expert Robinder Sachdev on Tuesday termed the extradition of 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused Tahawwur Rana to India as a “positive development”, highlighting its significance for justice and India-US cooperation.

Rana has been accused of being involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, where innocent people were killed, and is expected to stand trial in India.

Speaking to ANI on the extradition process, Sachdev said, “It is a positive development – one for justice for those who died in those days and secondly for the cooperation between India and America.”

He emphasised that Rana’s interrogation would provide Indian authorities with key information and that the process has reached a stage where the accused have no further legal recourse.

“India will learn a lot of things through the interrogation… There is no chance for him to avoid or take any legal recourse… He will be handed over to our national intelligence agencies by the FBI, and the NIA will go and bring him to the country,” Sachdev added.

Meanwhile, former diplomat KP Fabian, while welcoming the US decision, noted that despite the Indian government providing credible evidence, it took 17 years for Tahawwur Rana to be extradited. He also criticised the American legal process.

“While we welcome the US decision, it’s important to note that the 26/11 attacks occurred in 2008, and it has taken 17 years for the extradition–despite India providing credible evidence early on. Had the roles been reversed, and an accused in the 9/11 attacks were in India, the US would not have waited this long. The American legal process is slow, and successive administrations could have acted more swiftly…,” Fabian told ANI on Wednesday.

On April 7, the Supreme Court of the United States rejected Tahawwur Rana’s plea to stay his extradition to India. Rana filed an emergency application with Chief Justice Roberts on March 20, 2025, seeking a stay on his extradition.

“The application for stay addressed to The Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied,” the SC order dated Monday, April 7, stated.

According to the Mumbai Crime Branch, a case of criminal conspiracy against Rana was originally lodged by the NIA in Delhi following the deadly November 2008 attacks in which over 160 people were killed.

The ongoing extradition process pertains to that case. However, officials clarified that it is yet to be determined whether Mumbai Police can seek his custody for any local investigation linked to the attacks.

“Only after examining the grounds of extradition will it be clear whether custody can be sought by the Mumbai Crime Branch in this matter,” sources said.

Sources added that the Mumbai Police has not received any formal communication so far regarding Rana’s transfer to the city for questioning or judicial proceedings.

Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national, was convicted in the US for the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives and providing material support to the group responsible for the Mumbai attacks that killed over 174 people.