Tahawwur Hussain Rana, accused of involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening. His arrival comes a day after a multi-agency Indian team departed from the United States with him aboard a special flight.

Rana, believed to be one of the key conspirators behind the 26/11 attacks, is expected to be held at Tihar Jail, according to sources. He will be formally arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). His extradition was facilitated by a joint team from the NIA and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

The Centre has appointed advocate Narender Mann as the special public prosecutor in the case. On April 9, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs announced that Mann will oversee the trial and related proceedings in the NIA case against Rana for a term of three years.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 15 of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 (34 of 2008), read with sub-section (8) of section 18 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), the Central Government hereby appoints Narender Mann, Advocate as Special Public Prosecutor for conducting trial and other matters related to NIA case RC-04/2009/NIA/DLI on behalf of the National Investigation Agency before the NIA Special Courts at Delhi and Appellate Courts, for a period of 3 years from the date of publication of this notification or till the completion of trial of the said case, whichever is earlier,” read the notification.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take custody of him upon arrival.

On February 11, the US Secretary of State approved the surrender warrant, which authorised Rana’s extradition to Indian authorities. Rana’s legal counsel then filed an emergency stay motion to dispute the order.

The United States Supreme Court refused Rana’s request for a stay of his extradition on April 7. “The application for stay addressed to The Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied,” it said.

Tahawwur Rana, 64, is a Pakistani-Canadian national and close associate of one of the main conspirators of the Mumbai terror attacks (2008) David Coleman Headley. He was convicted in the United States for working with the banned terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and providing material assistance to the group responsible for the Mumbai attacks, which murdered over 174 people.

The Indian government has been requesting his extradition for years, and the recent US Supreme Court decision has paved the way for his transfer.

The government registered a case on November 11, 2009, at the NIA Police Station in New Delhi, as per NIA. It further stated that the accused Headley alias Daood Gilani and Rana were arrested by law enforcement agencies in the US.

According to CNN-News18, the US Department of Justice approved India’s submissions that refuted Rana’s “double jeopardy” defence.

New Delhi rejected Rana’s assertion that his trial in India was double jeopardy, citing parts of the severe Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

According to sources, India contended before the US that double jeopardy is decided based on the offence rather than the conduct of the accused. The outlet further mentioned that India’s diplomatic presence and position in the world, as well as friendly relations with the US, aided in the swift extradition of Rana.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced in a joint press conference that Rana would face justice in India.