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India
One of the suspected masterminds of the deadly 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, has finally been extradited from the United States to India, marking a major breakthrough 17 years after the atrocities. Rana was successfully returned to India by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on a special Air Force aircraft that touched down at the national capital’s Palam airport.
As the country watches this historic moment unfold, NewsX spoke exclusively to Mr. Yogesh Chander Modi, former Director General of the NIA, to get his insights on the implications of this high-profile extradition and what lies ahead.
“A Big Achievement for the Whole Country”
Congratulating the agencies involved, Mr. Modi described the extradition as one of the biggest in recent times. He said, “It is a big achievement for the whole country that we have been able to bring him to India for facing the trial.”
He credited not just the NIA but also the Ministry of External Affairs and other central government agencies for their relentless efforts in securing Rana’s extradition after 15 years of legal proceedings in the United States.
What Can the NIA Expect From Rana’s Interrogation?
With Rana having spent the last 15 years in a U.S. prison, there is understandable speculation about the kind of intelligence he might still hold. Mr. Modi, offering a realistic perspective, said,
“You have to understand one thing, for the last 15 years he has been in prison. So to expect that he will be able to provide some fresh information or regarding some recent incidents will not be there.”
However, he emphasized that Rana’s interrogation could still be crucial in uncovering historical details about his connections with Pakistan, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit, and collaborators within India.
“When we will interrogate, I mean, the present NIA leadership will interrogate him — they will come to know who were helping him in India at that time or what were his connections with Pakistan. We all know that Pakistan is a terrorist-sponsoring country, but after interrogation of this man, we will get the direct links he had with his masters in Pakistan, his handlers in Pakistan.”
Modi added that this information could further expose Pakistan’s role in global terrorism.
“We expect that we would get some substantial information about Pakistan, and which we’ll be able to expose that country throughout the world.”
The Possibility of Internal Help in India
An important aspect of the investigation will also be to determine if Rana had sympathizers or facilitators within India. Mr. Modi pointed out that while it’s too early to confirm this, it cannot be dismissed.
“It will be premature to say that he was getting help from certain people in India, but that can’t be ruled out, and that will certainly be a focus of interrogation — to find out if he had some sympathizers or he had some friends, that we will certainly like to find out.”
Pakistan’s Predictable Denial
As expected, Pakistan has officially distanced itself from Tahawwur Rana, stating that he is a Canadian citizen, despite its own laws allowing dual citizenship. Reacting to this, Mr. Modi remarked, “It’s a standard intelligence agency move to deny. I mean, which country will say that they had sent him? So they will try to find out some way out, claiming that this man is not a Pakistani citizen. So you don’t have to be a Pakistani citizen to commit terrorist acts on behalf of Pakistan.”
He added that Pakistan’s pattern of denial is nothing new. “Initially, they denied even Kasab was a Pakistani. So it doesn’t matter and the whole world knows. I feel that NIA would be in a position to bring out his connections with Pakistani authorities and intelligence agencies very clearly.”
Modi highlighted that it was only on the basis of solid evidence presented to the U.S. authorities that the extradition was granted.
“Whatever certain evidence has been given — that is to US authorities — that is the only reason why he has been extradited. Otherwise, he would not have been extradited.”
The extradition of Tahawwur Rana is not just a legal and diplomatic victory for India but also a significant step in exposing the cross-border terror network responsible for one of the darkest days in India’s history. As the NIA begins its interrogation, the country watches closely, hoping for long-sought answers and international accountability.
