Thu Apr 10 03:53:11 UTC 2025: ## India to Repatriate 26/11 Mumbai Attack Co-conspirator Tahawwur Rana

**NEW DELHI** – India is preparing to bring Tahawwur Hussain Rana, an accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, back to the country from the United States. This development has renewed focus on David Coleman Headley, a key conspirator in the attacks that killed 166 people.

A joint team from India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is expected to extradite Rana following the failure of his legal challenges. Rana’s arrest by the FBI occurred nearly 16 years ago.

Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani origin, has already pleaded guilty to his role in the Mumbai attacks and a planned attack on a Danish newspaper. He is serving a 35-year prison sentence in the US. Despite repeated Indian requests for his extradition, the US has refused, citing his cooperation in providing information on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operations and Pakistani involvement.

Headley’s background reveals a complex narrative. Born Daood Sayed Gilani in Washington D.C. to a Pakistani diplomat and American mother, he spent time in Pakistan before returning to the US where he worked in his family’s bar. He later became involved with LeT, serving a prison sentence for heroin smuggling before briefly working undercover for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Between 2002 and 2005, he attended multiple LeT training camps and conducted extensive surveillance in India ahead of the 2008 attacks. His arrest in 2009 by US authorities prevented further planned attacks in Denmark.

Rana’s repatriation marks a significant step in India’s pursuit of justice for the victims of the 26/11 attacks. The ongoing focus on Headley highlights the continued complexities in bringing all those responsible to account.

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