The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has appointed Advocate Narender Mann as the Special Public Prosecutor for the trial and legal proceedings in the high-profile 26/11 Mumbai terror attack conspiracy case, specifically against Tahawwur Hussain Rana and David Coleman Headley.
According to the official notification issued on April 9, Mann will represent the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in case RC-04/2009/NIA/DLI before the NIA Special Courts in Delhi and the Appellate Courts for a period of three years or until the trial concludes, whichever is earlier.
The development coincides with a significant legal milestone: the U.S. Supreme Court on April 7 denied Rana’s petition to halt his extradition to India. The U.S. Secretary of State had earlier signed the surrender warrant for his extradition on February 11. Upon arrival, the NIA will take custody of Rana, who is currently imprisoned in the U.S. following a conviction related to his involvement with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Pakistan-based terrorist group responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed over 174 people.
Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian, and David Headley, a U.S. citizen also known as Daood Gilani, were charged under several laws, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to conspiracy and terrorism. The case was initially registered by the NIA on November 11, 2009.
The NIA stated that extradition requests for both accused were sent to U.S. authorities, while a Letter Rogatory had been issued to Pakistan for further cooperation, which is still pending. A charge sheet was filed on December 24, 2011, against nine individuals involved in the planning and execution of the attacks.
Rana’s impending extradition marks a crucial step in India’s long-standing efforts to bring all conspirators of the 26/11 attacks to justice.
