After the ten years of Mumbai Terror attacks, India finally has been able to persuade the United States for the deportation of a close aide to US citizen and Mumbai terror attacks accused David Coleman Headley. The conspirator, Tahawwur Hussain Rana who worked as a physician for the Pakistani Army was instrumental behind the attacks and the NIA seems to have got its man.
As per the sources, the National Investigation Agency in a video conference has been told by the American Authorities that they stand convinced on the issue and are likely to take 57-year old Tahawwur Rana to justice. Rana is charged for helping David Headley in the reconnaissance of the targets which the terrorists chose on 26/11. Rana is also told to be behind formulating strategy to carry out attacks at National Defense College and Chabad Houses.
Officials state that the deportation of Rana has been requested on the charges of Indian Penal Code pertaining to forgery and criminal breach of trust. Rana had used his firm for making documents for David Headley in Mumbai. The US prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) both seek to honour India’s request for Rana’s extradition.
Rana who owned First World Immigration Services in Chicago directed the officials of his firm to prepare documents for David Headley in order to prepare a cover story which could shield David from the Indian Investigative Agencies.
An official when asked about the deportation of Rana said, “We know David Coleman Headley cannot be brought to India as he has already entered a plea bargain in US, which grants him exemption from extradition, and is facing a 35-year prison term there. However, our efforts to bring Rana to India are on and final decision on his extradition is likely to taken soon.”
FBI had nabbed Tahawwur Rana in Chicago on Oct 18, 2009, over the charges of providing material supports to terror activities outside US including Mumbai and Denmark Capital Copenhagen.
In Copenhagen, the former physician is alleged of supporting a plot of murder which stretches from October 2008 to October 2009. Reportedly, Rana has also been behind the plan of murdering the employees of a Danish Newspaper.
Tahawwur Rana has been accused of being close to Lashkar-e-Taiba and of providing material support to it, to carry out Mumbai attacks in 2009. He currently is facing a 14-year jail term.
Earlier, David Headley had told the investigators that he advised Rana in his assignment of scouting the potential targets in India.
In past during the Congress regime, there appeared no hope for the Mumbai victims to get justice and the perpetrators either roamed freely in Pakistan or were locked in American jails with Indian Agencies having to do nothing. The ‘status quo’ seems to have undergone a change with both US ready to help in extradition and Pakistan finding itself isolated and creeping under huge debt crises. The credit indeed has to go to the Indian diplomacy.