Govt appoints Tushar Mehta-headed team of lawyers for trial against Tahawwur Rana

The government has appointed a team of lawyers headed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to conduct the trial against Pakistani-Canadian terrorist Tahawwur Hussain Rana in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case.

In a notification, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the appointment has been made exercising the powers conferred under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

The central government hereby appoints a team of Special Public Prosecutors headed by Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General of India, with SV Raju, Additional Solicitor General, along with Dayan Krishnan, senior advocate, and Narender Mann, advocate, for conducting trial and other matters related to the case RC-04/2009/NIA/DLI on behalf of the NIA before the NIA Special Courts at Delhi, High Court of Delhi and Supreme Court of India for three years or till the completion of trial of the said case, whichever is earlier, the notification said.

The RC-04/2009/NIA/DLI pertains to the case registered with the NIA in Delhi involving the trial of Tahawwur Rana and David Coleman Headley in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

The NIA secured Rana's extradition from the US following years of sustained efforts and arrested him on April 10 upon his arrival here.

Rana is accused of being involved in the larger conspiracy behind the 2008 dastardly strikes orchestrated by Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba in which 166 people were killed and 238 injured.