By The Sampadak Express
Two senior National Investigation Agency (NIA) officers, Ashish Batra and Jaya Roy, are spearheading the extradition process of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, from the United States.
Ashish Batra, a 1997-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Jharkhand cadre, currently serves as the Inspector General (IG) of NIA. He was deputed to the agency in 2019, with his term extended until September 2024. Prior to his NIA assignment, Batra was the IG of Jharkhand’s anti-insurgency unit, Jharkhand Jaguar.
He has also held various other roles in operational and administrative capacities, including Assistant Superintendent of Police in Jehanabad, Superintendent of Police in Koel Karo and Hazaribagh, and City SP in Ranchi.
Jaya Roy, a 2011-batch IPS officer, serves as Deputy Inspector General in the NIA. She was deputed to the agency in 2019 and is known for leading a crackdown on cybercriminals in Jamtara, a case that inspired a popular web series.
Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian physician, was involved in the planning and reconnaissance of targets for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people. He also allegedly plotted attacks on the National Defence College (NDC) and Chabad Houses. Rana was arrested by the FBI in 2009 for providing material support to terrorist activities, including the Mumbai attacks and other conspiracies abroad.
Earlier this week, the US Supreme Court denied Rana’s appeal against extradition. A recent update from the US Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that Rana is no longer in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles. Indian authorities have now taken custody of the 64-year-old to bring him to India for questioning. This marks the first time that Indian investigators will have direct access to Rana, as he was not questioned during a 2010 NIA visit to the US.
Upon arrival in India, Rana is expected to be detained at Delhi’s high-security Tihar Jail, possibly in the highest security units, Jails 2 and 4, as a high-risk prisoner. Authorities are awaiting a final decision on his placement.
This extradition marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to bring those responsible for the 26/11 attacks to justice.
