Tahawwur Rana: The man behind Mumbai's 26/11 attacks

Disturbing transcriptions from Mujahideens were cited by the US justice department as evidence in Tahawwur Rana's conviction order way back in 2013.

One of the transcriptions read, "Mujahideens involved in the Mumbai attacks should receive Pakistan's highest posthumous military honors."

Rana is a physician, an immigration entrepreneur, a hardline radical with hatred for India and a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist managing finances for the outfit. He was confident about ISI Major Iqbal plotting the sea-borne terror attack in Mumbai, seen by the then government as an undeclared war by Pakistan and had triggered demands for retaliation.


Rana established the groundwork for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks along with Headley. It was one of the deadliest of a series of terror runs organised by ISI through outfits like Lashkar and Indian Mujahideen.

Rana had arrived in Mumbai via Dubai before the attacks to ensure arrangements were precisely executed, say investigators.

"He had checked into Hotel Renaissance in Powai during his visit to India between November 11 and 21 in 2008. The attacks occurred five days after he departed," states a police document.

With decks cleared for Rana's extradition, India's efforts since 2019 have finally yielded results.

While it has been 16 years, the memories of the deadliest terror attack, which had caught the Indian security establishment napping, continue to be an impediment in normalisation of ties with Pakistan.