Tahawwur Rana case: Centre appoints Narender Mann as special public prosecutor for 3 years

New Delhi: The Central Government has appointed Advocate Narender Mann as the Special Public Prosecutor to handle trials and related matters in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) case against Tahawwur Hussain Rana and David Coleman Headley. Headley, currently serving a prison sentence in the US following a plea deal, is one of the key figures in the case.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 15 of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 (34 of 2008), read with sub-section (8) of section 18 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), the Central Government hereby appoints Narender Mann, Advocate as Special Public Prosecutor for conducting trial and other matters related to NIA case RC-04/2009/NIA/DLI on behalf of the National Investigation Agency before the NIA Special Courts at Delhi and Appellate Courts, for a period of 3 years from the date of publication of this notification or till the completion of trial of the said case, whichever is earlier," the Ministry of Home Affairs notified on April 9.

Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national, is currently in the process of being extradited to India. Upon his arrival, the NIA will take custody of him to face trial.

The US Secretary of State had authorized the surrender warrant for Rana’s extradition on February 11. Although Rana’s legal team filed an emergency stay motion to challenge the decision, the US Supreme Court denied the petition for a stay on April 7.

Rana was convicted in the United States for his involvement with the banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and for providing material support to the group responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which resulted in the deaths of over 174 people.