Rising Bharat Summit 2025: Amit Shah Calls Tahawwur Rana Extradition a Major Diplomatic Victory for Modi Government

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has praised the upcoming extradition of 26/11 Mumbai attacks suspect Tahawwur Rana from the United States as a significant diplomatic achievement for the Narendra Modi administration.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses the Rising Bharat Summit in New Delhi on Wednesday. Image Courtesy: News18

Speaking at News18’s Rising Bharat Summit 2025 on Wednesday (April 9), Shah referred to Rana’s extradition as a “major diplomatic success” and contrasted it with the UPA government led by Congress, under whose leadership the 2008 attacks took place.

“Those under whose regime these attacks happened failed to bring the perpetrators back and deliver justice,” Shah said during a conversation with Rahul Joshi, Editor-in-Chief of the Network18 Group. “But we remain committed to doing so.”

The Prolonged Journey to Extradition

Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian businessman, is accused of playing a pivotal role in facilitating the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which claimed 166 lives, including those of foreign nationals and security personnel.

He is alleged to have helped co-conspirator David Coleman Headley conduct surveillance on key targets in Mumbai, such as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Chabad House Jewish Centre, both of which were later attacked by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Rana is said to have used his immigration services company as a cover, enabling Headley—an American citizen of Pakistani descent—to pose as a legitimate US businessman while gathering intelligence in India prior to the assault.

After years of legal battles in the US, including opposition from his defense team, American courts approved Rana’s extradition, ruling that there was enough evidence to confirm his involvement in the Mumbai plot.

Shah framed this outcome as part of a broader government effort to pursue those who have "misused India’s land, disrespected its honor, and mistreated Indian citizens," assuring that they would face trial under Indian law.

Rana’s extradition stands as one of the most high-profile cases of its kind in recent years.

A grim legacy

The 26/11 attacks took place over almost three days, beginning on the evening of November 26, 2008. Ten heavily armed militants arrived by sea and launched coordinated assaults across Mumbai, targeting sites such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, the Taj Hotel, the Oberoi-Trident Hotel, and the Jewish Chabad House.

Guided in real-time by handlers in Pakistan, the attackers wreaked havoc, resulting in the deaths of 166 people and leaving hundreds injured. The victims included hotel staff, commuters, tourists, and police officers. The world watched in horror as the siege unfolded, marking a pivotal moment in global views of Pakistan-based militant groups.

Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving gunman, was captured, tried, and ultimately executed in India. Headley, who gave testimony in US courts and later via video to Indian investigators, was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2013, where he continues to serve his sentence in the US.

(This Article was originally published by First Post)