Top-tier Security for Tahawwur Rana: Bulletproof Vehicle, SWAT Commandos Deployed in Delhi

Security has been significantly intensified across the national capital ahead of the arrival of Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, was extradited to India from the United States on Thursday after years of legal hurdles.

Upon his landing at Delhi’s Palam airport, Rana will be transported to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) headquarters in a bulletproof vehicle, accompanied by an armoured convoy, sources confirmed. SWAT commandos and Delhi Police’s Special Cell officers have been deployed at the airport and along the route to ensure high-level security.

“A ‘marksman’ vehicle, designed to withstand high-grade attacks and used in the transfer of high-risk detainees, has also been placed on standby,” a senior security official told Hindustan Times. “This is a high-value and high-risk extradition. All protocols have been enforced accordingly.”

Rana’s official arrest by the NIA is expected to take place immediately upon arrival. He will then be produced virtually before a court and placed in judicial custody. Authorities have arranged for his detention in a high-security ward inside Tihar Jail, one of India’s most secure correctional facilities.

The extradition comes nearly 16 years after the Mumbai attacks, which saw 10 heavily armed Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists unleash coordinated violence across the city, killing 166 people. The lone captured terrorist, Ajmal Kasab, was hanged in 2012 after a trial in India.

Rana, a former Pakistani military doctor turned immigration consultant, has been accused of facilitating the reconnaissance operations carried out by Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley, who is currently serving a 35-year sentence in the US. Headley’s intelligence was critical to planning the Mumbai attack.

According to NIA sources, Rana’s interrogation could uncover further evidence of the involvement of Pakistani state actors in the attacks. “We hope to gain insights that may have been previously inaccessible due to international legal constraints,” an NIA officer said.

His extradition was cleared after the US Supreme Court rejected his final appeal, paving the way for his return to face trial in India. The development is being seen as a major diplomatic and investigative milestone in India’s long-standing pursuit of justice for the 26/11 attacks.