New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is traveling to the United States to complete the formalities for the extradition of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Tahawwur Rana, who is wanted in India for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, sources said.
The development comes after the US Supreme Court's recent decision rejecting a review petition filed by Rana, 63, challenging his extradition to India. The decision has cleared a significant legal hurdle, allowing Indian authorities to accelerate the process of bringing him to justice.
As per sources, a team of Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General rank officers are visiting the USA by the end of January. The move regarding it has been shared with the Ministry of Home Affairs as well as the Ministry of External Affairs.
Rana, a former doctor and businessman and a Canadian citizen of Pakistan origin, is accused of facilitating the reconnaissance activities of David Coleman Headley, the main planner of the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed.
Rana was arrested in 2009 in Chicago by the FBI for his role in a Pakistan-supported terror network. He was convicted in the US for supporting the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the terror group behind the attacks, but acquitted on charges directly related to the Mumbai attacks.
