Calling the impending extradition of 26/11 terror accused Tahawwur Rana a “big day” for India, Eknath Omble — brother of Ashok Chakra awardee and 26/11 hero Tukaram Omble — urged the central government to ensure Rana is given the death penalty for his role in the Mumbai attacks.
Speaking to ANI, Eknath said, “Many innocent people and policemen were killed. It was a painful night. Tahawwur Rana was the closest ally of David Headley, the mastermind of the attack. They all should have been hanged earlier… But it’s a big day for the country. I request the government to hang him as soon as possible.”
Eknath further stressed that Rana should receive a punishment severe enough to deter future conspirators, particularly those in Pakistan. “We tolerated the delay in Kasab’s punishment because it exposed the real face of Pakistan before the world,” he added.
Tukaram Omble, a sub-inspector in the Mumbai Police, played a pivotal role during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks by helping capture terrorist Ajmal Kasab alive. Armed only with a baton, Omble held on to Kasab’s weapon and absorbed multiple gunshots, sacrificing his life but ensuring a breakthrough in India’s counterterror investigations. He was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award.
Meanwhile, the Indian government has appointed Advocate Narender Mann as the Special Public Prosecutor to oversee legal proceedings involving Tahawwur Rana and David Headley under the NIA’s case RC-04/2009/NIA/DLI. Upon his arrival in India, Rana will be taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency.
Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national, was convicted in the US for aiding Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the terrorist group responsible for the attacks that claimed more than 174 lives. The extradition, approved by the US Supreme Court, represents a major diplomatic and legal victory for India, and a significant milestone in delivering long-awaited justice to the victims of the 26/11 attacks.
