In a significant diplomatic move ahead of Mark Carneyโs visit to New Delhi, Canada is preparing to revoke the citizenship of Tahawwur Rana, the convicted mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Rana, currently serving his sentence in India, has been officially informed of the Canadian governmentโs decision.
Rana, 64, is a Pakistan-born Canadian national and close associate of one of the main conspirators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, David Coleman Headley, alias Daood Gilani, a US citizen.
According to reports by Global News, Canadian immigration authorities have accused Rana of having obtained citizenship through misrepresentation. The authorities claim that when Rana applied for Canadian citizenship in 2001, he provided false information regarding his residence and travel history.
Rana had reportedly claimed to have been living in Ottawa and Toronto for the previous four yearsโa claim that immigration officials say was false. He also stated that he had spent only six days outside Canada, whereas evidence suggests he had been residing in Chicago, where he also established property.
The immigration department has submitted a detailed report on the alleged fraud and misrepresentation to the courts, which now hold the authority to revoke Ranaโs Canadian citizenship. Once the judicial process is complete, Rana is expected to officially lose his citizenship.
Tahawwur Rana’s extradition from US
After being brought back from the United States earlier this year, Pakistaniโorigin Canadian businessman Rana is now in custody at Tihar Jail, where investigators have questioned him in detail. Rana was extradited to India on April 10 following a lengthy legal battle in the US. Before his return, he was held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles after Indian authorities began extradition proceedings under the IndiaโUS Extradition Treaty.
The extradition process took time as Rana used all available legal options to delay his transfer to India. Once they were exhausted, he was flown to India and placed under judicial custody.
Investigators have been probing leads gathered during the investigation, including evidence from numerous telephone calls between Rana and his alleged coโaccused, David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani. Headley, a US citizen, is currently serving a sentence in the United States.
Rana is accused of collaborating with Headley, members of the terrorist groups LashkarโeโTaiba and HarkatโulโJihadi Islami, and other Pakistanโbased suspects, in planning the deadly attacks in Mumbai.