As India prepares to bring back Tahawwur Rana—accused of involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks—the father of a police constable killed in the carnage has demanded the death penalty for the Pakistani-origin Canadian national. Subhash Shinde, father of SRPF constable Rahul Shinde, who died battling terrorists at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, said capital punishment for Rana would be a “befitting tribute” to all the victims, including 166 civilians and security personnel. "As Rana’s role has come to light, he should be hanged. The trauma of that attack still haunts us even after 16 years," Shinde told PTI, speaking from his home in Solapur district, Maharashtra.
Rana's extradition from US imminent
Rana, 64, is expected to be extradited to India from the US soon after exhausting all legal avenues to challenge the process. The US Supreme Court recently denied his final plea to block extradition. Sources say a multi-agency Indian team is currently in the US to bring him back.
Rana has been lodged at a federal detention center in Los Angeles and is known to have links with Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley, one of the main architects of the 2008 attacks.
'Unimaginable loss cannot be forgotten'
Shinde, whose village has since been renamed Rahul Nagar in honor of his son, said the memories of the brutal assault remain fresh. “Whenever I talk about it, I still see the horrifying visuals. The loss of our policemen, citizens, and soldiers cannot be forgotten.”
Another policeman injured in the attack also demanded strict punishment for Rana, calling his involvement in the planning of the massacre “unforgivable.”
26/11: India's darkest day
On November 26, 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists launched a coordinated attack on iconic locations in Mumbai including the Taj and Oberoi hotels, CST railway station, and Chabad House, killing 166 people. Among the dead were citizens of the US, UK, and Israel.
Rana, who was arrested in Chicago in 2009, is accused of facilitating reconnaissance and logistics for the attacks through terror networks like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami. His associate, David Headley, is already serving a prison sentence in the US.
Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker from the 26/11 plot, was executed in 2012.
India has long pursued Rana’s extradition to hold him accountable for his role in one of the worst terrorist attacks on Indian soil.
Also read | Who is 26/11 mastermind Tahawwur Rana, the key conspirator to be extradited from the US to India?
