26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Tahawwur Rana is being extradited to India on a special flight that took off from the US at around 7:10 pm IST on Wednesday.
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00:00Good evening and welcome. You're watching the news track. I'm Rahul Khaman. 2611 accused Tahavur Rana is heading to India. There are 65 accused who are in the United States whom extradition requests have been made and so far in totality according to the Ministry of Home Affairs there are 178 requests for extradition that India has made globally.
00:23This is one of the rare big achievements of the government in pulling one of the fugitives back, bringing him to India. What does this mean for all the other cases that have been pending all this while? We look at the Rana case, we look at the other 2611 accused, we look at the other key accused in other cases, all that and more coming up on the news track tonight.
00:43End game for 2611 plotter.
00:58Tahavur Rana extradited.
01:05But what about Hafiz Saeed?
01:13Main 2611 masterminds, still free.
01:22Can India net park big fish? That is a big focus on the news track.
01:29Before we dive into the show, let me take you through the headlines.
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01:40BJP hits back, asks why the Congress has no OBC chief minister.
01:48Media Today's special investigation reveals how sex determination tests and female feticide are rampant in Haryana.
01:56Chief Minister Nayap Saini promises action against lawbreakers.
01:59India Inc.'s 63,000 crore-rupee deal with France for 26 Rafale marine jets.
02:09India to get 22 single-seater jets, four twin-seater jets as part of the deal.
02:14India ends trans-shipment facility for Bangladesh exports action after Muhammad Yunus called Indian Northeastern states landlocked and pitched Bangladesh as the guardian of the ocean.
02:29U.S.-China trade war escalates.
02:35Beijing reiterates, retaliates with 50% additional taxes on U.S. imports.
02:41China also files complaint and the World Trade Organization says Trump tariffs are a form of unilateral bullying.
02:47K-2611 plotter Tahavur Rana is headed to India.
02:57Rana has been extradited 17 years after the deadly Mumbai terror attacks.
03:01A special plane from India is bringing Rana from Los Angeles.
03:05After landing in India, he'll be produced before a National Investigation Agency court.
03:10Here's more.
03:17Tahavur Rana, one of the key conspirators behind the 26-11 terror attack in Mumbai, is extradited from the United States.
03:31Rana is set to arrive in India Thursday morning, escorted by a team of intelligence and investigative officials.
03:39The terrorist is being brought in a special plane which will stop at an undisclosed location en route to New Delhi.
03:45High security arrangements are in place at Jays in both Delhi and Mumbai.
03:51Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman, was an active operative of the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
03:57He helped David Headley, alias Daud Gilani, with travel documents for his reconnaissance of Mumbai targets.
04:04He in fact facilitated the travels of David Coleman Headley when he came to Raki, the targets for the 2008 attack.
04:13He arranged his travel plans, visas, everything.
04:20So he's a key person.
04:22He's a key person who was involved in the conspiracy for the attack.
04:28India Today accessed the NIHR sheet.
04:31Tatrabhi's Headley and Rana spoke over 200 times during Headley's eight visits to India before the 26-11 attacks.
04:38Today I'm pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters
04:46and one of the very evil people of the world and having to do with the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack
04:57to face justice in India.
04:59So he's going to be going back to India to face justice.
05:05Now, almost two decades later, the mastermind is back on Indian soil
05:10and every Indian has one thing on their mind, justice.
05:15Vera Report, India Today.
05:17Tahavur Rana's extradition is a big win against Pakistan.
05:25A captain in the Pak Ami, Rana was a key figure in planning and coordinating the 26-11 Mumbai terror attacks.
05:31It was Rana who helped David Coleman Headley, the man who surveyed the terror targets in Mumbai,
05:36get entry into India and open a front for the Lashkar.
05:39Devesh Singh and Nalini Sharma decode the importance of Tahavur Rana.
05:43The 26-11 terror attacks were planned and executed.
05:57Captain Tahavur Rana is one of the key co-conspirators of the 26-11 attack.
06:02The man who provided logistic, financial and other support to David Coleman Headley.
06:09Hedley conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai,
06:15acting as a link between L.E.T. and Pakistan's spy agency, ISI.
06:23David Headley took Rana's help to travel to India.
06:27It was Tahavur Rana who obtained the visa for David Headley
06:31by giving wrong information at the Indian consulate in Chicago.
06:37David Headley, in conspiracy with Tahavur Rana, started an immigration firm in Mumbai.
06:43The company First World International was used as a cover for carrying out L.E.T. and Huji operations.
06:50This is the same locality where in 2006, Tahavur Rana set up a branch office of his immigration and visa agency.
07:03Between 2006 and 2008, using this agency office of Tahavur Rana,
07:09David Coleman Headley made four to five trips to Mumbai and scouted for various locations.
07:15These locations were pinpointed by him using a GPS unit
07:21and then shared with the terrorists who carried out the attacks on 26th November 2008.
07:28In June 2006, Headley travelled to Chicago, where he met with Rana and discussed the entire terror plot.
07:37Since Rana was a former Pakistan army captain, Headley assured him of all help through Pakistan ISI handler Major Iqbal.
07:49I am at the office of Tahavur Hussain Rana, the First World Immigration Office at Devon Avenue.
07:56This is where Tahavur Hussain Rana used to sit.
07:58David Coleman Headley used this First World Immigration, the name of this office, to spread terror,
08:06not just in India, but also in Denmark.
08:09Devon Avenue is called Chicago's Chandni Chowk.
08:13But here at Chicago's Chandni Chowk, now there is genuine fear that undercover agents would be seen in larger numbers.
08:22Upon landing in India, a contact of Tahavur Rana arranged conveyance.
08:27In June 2007, with the assistance of Tahavur Rana, David Headley applied for an extension of his visa to India.
08:40Rana communicated extensively with Headley during his India visits.
08:46Tahavur Rana himself visited India between 13th and 21st November 2008,
08:52less than a week before 2611 terror attacks.
08:55Apart from Mumbai, he travelled to Delhi, Agra, Ahmedabad, Kuchin and Haapur.
09:04With his extradition, Pakistan's role has been nailed.
09:08Will it lead to action against mastermind Hafiz Saeed next?
09:12Getting Tahavur Rana is just the tip of the 2611 iceberg, frankly.
09:28What about the real masterminds, those living under Pakistan's protection?
09:32The likes of Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Rahman Lakwi, the Park Army officers who helped plan and execute the 2611 attacks.
09:39Ankeet Kumar with this story.
09:412611 plotter, Tahavur Rana has been extradited to India, but the main masterminds are still at large.
09:53David Coleman Headley, a.k.a. Dawud Gilani, who surveyed 2611 targets, conducted a GPS intelligence and bore Trekkie before the terror attack.
10:09He was arrested by FBI in 2009 and turned star witness for U.S. prosecution.
10:19Headley is currently under U.S. witness protection program and is likely given a new identity by U.S. officials.
10:27His official public records have been wiped out and his current whereabouts are unknown.
10:33Hafiz Saeed, founder of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayabar, that planned and executed the 2611 Mumbai terror attacks.
10:46Saeed was sentenced by Pakistani court, but lives at Johar town, Lahore, under heavy security.
10:55He survived an explosion in 2021 near his home.
10:59Zakiur Rehman Lakwi, operational commander of L.E.T. during 2611.
11:09Lakwi trained and coordinated with the attackers as well as Headley.
11:14He recently was seen in a fitness video at Islamabad and has changed his name to Abu Wasi.
11:22Four serving officers of Pakistan's ISI and three ex-officers of the Pakistani army were also part of the 2611 plot.
11:35Among them were Sajid Mir, Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali, who were handlers of David Headley, Tahour Rana and 2611 attackers.
11:47They remain free in Pakistan.
11:52Tahour Rana is just the tip of the iceberg.
11:55Will India get its hand on the big fish?
11:59With Ankit Kumar in Delhi, Bureau Report, India Today.
12:04So I'm joined on this show by a very high quality panel.
12:11I want to introduce first Mr. A.P. Singh, a well-known former director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
12:18I have Y.C. Modi, crack investigator, has been director general of the National Investigating Agency.
12:24We have Sushant Sareen, one of our former strategic affairs experts.
12:28And I have Rajita Kulkarni, who's a survivor of the 2611 attacks.
12:32I want to go across to A.P. Singh first.
12:35So I was looking at data supplied by India's Deputy Home Minister Nithyanand Rai in the parliament,
12:41which says there are 178 requests that have been made to countries across the world for extradition.
12:4723 people have been extradited over the last five years.
12:50And with the U.S. itself, there are 65 requests for extradition.
12:54Now, Tahour Rana is one of the big high-profile successes that the NIA and the CBI have had.
13:00And the question that everyone is asking is, when will we get the real masterminds,
13:05the likes of Lakwee, the likes of Hafiz Saeed, the ISI officers who are in Pakistan?
13:11Are we likely to get them?
13:14And can this be the first of many such successes?
13:17Rahul, you are not going to get anybody from Pakistan. Let's be blunt and face facts.
13:26But yes, this is the most important extradition from the U.S. I think ever.
13:30The only other one was Warren Anderson, who was wanted for that Bapal gas tragedy.
13:36They refused. But this, we must give credit to the government, the investigating agencies, and particularly President Trump.
13:43I mean, he took an absolutely forceful view on this and he said, no, we are sending him back.
13:49And I think this will actually give us the whole, you know, the idea of the Pakistani deep state.
13:57Once we get this Rana, he will be properly interrogated. You know, Hadley was only a video conference.
14:07He had, the U.S. had said that he had done a plea bargain and they said, okay, we are not going to extradite you,
14:16we are not going to sentence you to death. And so, he appeared before the Mumbai court in a video conference and he was given approval status.
14:27So, that is not, this time actually he is going to be physically interrogated, you know, personally by NIA and by so many agencies.
14:37So, we will get to know the entire deep state, Pakistan deep state involvement in this conspiracy of the bombing.
14:47No, but how does this according to you, Mr. Singh, materially impact this case? Because you are saying no one is likely to be sent back from Pakistan.
14:54It will give us a deeper sense of the deep state. We already have a good sense of what happened during 26-11.
15:00So, explain to those watching right now, how does, why is this such a big success? How does Tahavu Rana coming back to India materially impact the 26-11 case?
15:12You see, earlier Hadley had no, he was not physically being interrogated. So, he could say anything he wanted.
15:21Kassab was only a foot soldier. So, I don't think Kassab really knew everything that was going behind.
15:27But this fellow Rana knows the whole story. He would know everything about how this was planned, how it was executed, who were the conspirators.
15:37And, I mean, it is obvious that Pakistan is not going to send these guys, but at least we know the whole story.
15:45I think that is very important. And also, we have had a successful extradition of a main accused.
15:51This is, so far we have not really caught a main conspirator in this case. Now, we have one.
15:58So, I think that is very important. And as far as the extraditions are concerned, I mean, I will only stick to terrorist cases.
16:04We had Abu Saleem who was a very big success in the Bombay blast cases from Europe.
16:10And after that we have had nothing. I mean, you know, they just don't extradite people so easily.
16:16In my time, I remember we tried very hard for Kim Davies, who is another terrorist. And he admitted that he had done the Purulia…
16:26Arms drop.
16:27These arms droppings. But the Danish government just refused. The courts, he said it in court that I am responsible.
16:35But they said that no, you know, he will be tortured here, the prison conditions are so bad. So, they refused to extradite him.
16:42So, to get this guy from the US, I think it is full credit to the Indian government, the investigating agencies and, of course, President Trump.
16:52So, what is different between this case, AP Singh and the others? How is it that we managed to get Rana and failed to get the others?
16:59Because with the US itself, there are 65 extradition requests?
17:02No, I… Yeah, because this is a terrorist case. And I think US… 10 US people were also killed in this blast.
17:14So, I think… And Trump has taken a completely different view. He has taken a very forceful view on this subject.
17:20So, that is why we have succeeded. Other cases may not be all of… You know, I don't think there are any terrorist cases as such pending.
17:27These are all economic offenders or they may be petty murders or something like that.
17:33So, I think this has been a big achievement. You have got a mastermind of the Bombay terrorist attacks.
17:42And I think that… That is a big positive for us. Sure. In respect of the fact whether Pakistan ultimately… You know… Pakistan is not going to extradite these people to India.
17:54Sure. That we all know. Sure. Why see… Why see Modi… You have led the National Investigation Agency. This is a big success for the NIA.
18:01As someone who has seen this journey. You know… How validated and vindicated do you feel? And how significant do you think? You know…
18:10As Mr. Singh mentioned… The last big fish we got back was Abu Saleem from Portugal. And after that we are getting Rana. How do they compare?
18:18I think you know… I think you should go to the background of the formation of NIA. NIA was established after Mumbai attack.
18:3226-11. And it was a matter of prestige for us to get this man to India.
18:42You know… In this regard. In complete coordination with Ministry of External Affairs, with our political agency as well.
18:51I mean… We could… External Affairs… We could achieve this because of… We made it a point… In fact, in my meetings with my officers…
19:02I used to discuss this case very regularly. And we answered hundreds of queries of US government.
19:09I don't know whether you are aware. Because in extradition proceedings, NIA cannot appear. Or Government of India cannot appear.
19:18It is… The US prosecution authorities… They appear in the court. So we had to first convince the US agencies…
19:26about evidence… About evidence… Adequacy of evidence… And quality of evidence… As well as… That… To convince them… That… It is a matter of… Terrorism… And… There are other cases…
19:43of terrorists also pending… For extradition… But in this case… Because of… Coordination at… Different levels… We could convince the US…
19:53No. So AP Singh called him a mastermind of the 2611 attacks…
19:56No. So AP Singh called him a mastermind of the 2611 attacks. Is he an important field operative…
19:59involved in the conspiracy? Or would you also consider him a mastermind? As people…
20:03try and recall what happened to them. Try and focus on Rana's… role. How significant a catch…
20:08do you think this is, Mr. Modi? No, no. It is a very significant catch. And he is one of the two masterminds. The…
20:16he was the person… Who initiated this conspiracy… That… This… An immigration consultancy office…
20:24can be set up… In… Mumbai… And with the… In the gab of that consultancy office…
20:31they can make visits to different places in the country… And target the locations… And provide…
20:38that… That effective information to their bosses in Pakistan… So that…
20:43this heinous offense… And this big terrorist crime…
20:46could be committed. So… He… His role is very important… And another thing…
20:51important thing is… Headley has become a prover… And… He has thrown…
20:57this man… Under the bus that way… And now… We expect that… He will give… Tell us…
21:04the truth… When… Our people will interrogate him… Because earlier… They were together…
21:09Now… He… Is… On the… Other side of… Headley… So… I think… With…
21:18the proper interrogation… We would be able to… Get… Lot more information… Though… I mean…
21:24For the last 15 years… No… But… What purpose is that information…
21:27I want to press you on this… Ok… So… As Mr. Singh also said… We will get more information…
21:30about Pakistan's deep state… Explain to those watching… Why is that useful…
21:34I mean… We already know… That the Pakistan deep state…
21:36is very messed up… And that's enough… For most people… Why… From an investigative…
21:39perspective… Is that important… And consequential… In your view…
21:43No… I… I… I can understand… That… Everybody knows… That… Pakistan…
21:49is involved… But… The problem is… We give…
21:53Doziers… And… International bodies… In the international bodies… As… As well…
22:00But… In… Now… We hope… That… We will be… Able… To give…
22:05Able… To give… Able… To give… Able… To give…
22:06specific… Information… About… Different… Actions… Done… By them… And…
22:11The… Involvement… Of Pakistan… And… He… Will be… Pakistan… Will be…
22:15fully exposed… That is… What we feel… Though… I mean… As Mr. Singh…
22:19told… That… We are not going to… Back… Going… Going… Going… To… Get… Lakvi… Or… Hafiz…
22:26Said… But… We will… Certainly… Be able… To expose… Pakistan… More… And… More… After… Interrogating…
22:32Tahavur… Rana…
22:34So… Sushant Sarin… Is this… Just about… Tahavur… Rana… Or… Do you think…
22:37There is a larger… Message… Here… In terms… Of… Dealing… With… The new…
22:41Trump… Administration… They have… Let… Rana… Go… And… Could…
22:44They help… On… The other… Extradition… Requests… Yeah… We have…
22:47Got… 65… Requests… According… To… The Ministry… Of… External Affairs… Just… With…
22:51The US… What… Does… It… Mean… For… The other… 65…
22:54So… Rahul… I… Think… We… Need… To… Be… Able… To… Distinguish… Between… Various…
22:58Cases… This… Is… A… Very… Very… High… Profile… Case…
23:01This… Is… A… Case… Which… Became… A… Cause… Celebrity… Around… The… World…
23:05It's… An… Example… Of… A… Terror… Attack… Which… Is… Used… By… Intelligence…
23:09Agencies… And… Security… Agencies… Around… The… World…
23:12Now… You… Can't… Lump… This… Case… With… Either… A… Crime… Of… Financial… Nature…
23:16Or… Even… A… Murder… Or… Even… Some… Of… These… Khalistani… Thugs…
23:21Who… Are… In… In… In… In… The US… That… Is… One… Second…
23:25Please… Remember… That… The… Kind… Of… Evidence… And… The… Kind… Of… Focus…
23:31That… Not… Only… The… Government… Of… India… But… I… Think… And… The… Cooperation…
23:34We… Got… From… The… American… Side… From… The… American… Security… Agencies… Which… Had… Gathered… A… Lot… Of… Evidence… Against…
23:40This… Guy… Would… Have… Also… Helped… In… Ensuring… That… He… Got… Extradited…
23:45Plus… Of… Course… There… Was… A… Political… Will… In… The US… To… Extradite…
23:49This… Guy… So… I… Think… That… Is… Something… Which… We… Have… To… Keep… In… Mind…
23:52Number… One… Number… Two… Let's… Also… Be… Very… Clear… About… A… Couple… Of… Things… You…
23:57You… Know… You… Were… Asking… The… Two… Gentlemen… Mr… Modi… And… Mr… Singh…
24:00About… What… What… What… New… Will… Come… Out… Of… It… So… Yes… Of…
24:04Of… Course… We… Will… Get… Some… More… Information… Etc… Etc… Etc…
24:07A… Lot… Of… It… We… Already… Have… But… I… Would… Suggest… That…
24:11You… Know… Maybe… This… Is… An… Opportunity… For… India…
24:15One… Does… The… Fact… That… This… Guy… Is… Being… Brought… To… Justice… Is… A… Very… Good… Thing… But… Importantly…
24:21Once… You… Once… You… Get… You… You… Know… You… Can… Reopen… The… Case… And… Perhaps…
24:25We… Have… To… Have… Some… Provision… In… Law…
24:27Thereby… We… Can… Prosecute… In… Absentia… Terrorists… Like… Hafiz… Saeed… Sajid… Meer…
24:33And… Those… ISI… Thugs… In… In… In… Pakistan… We… Follow… A… Kind… Of… A… Procedure…
24:40Our… Courts… Should… Be… Competent… Enough… To… Pronounce… Punishment… On… Them…
24:44And… Then… You… Leave… It… To… The… Security… Agencies… On… How…
24:47That… Punishment… Is… To… To… To… Those… Guys…
24:50Whatever… They… Are… In… Whichever… Corner… Of… The… World… They… Are…
24:53I… Think… We… Need… To… Go… Down… That… Road…
24:55Because… If… We… Are… Not… Going… To… Do… It… Then… Terrorist…
24:57States… Like… Pakistan… Will… Continue… To… Harbour… These… Guys…
25:00Now… You… Know… In… Your… Report… Earlier… You… Were… Talking… About… What… Has… Happened… To… Lakvi…
25:04What… Has… Happened… To… Hafiz… Saeed… Or… Sajid… Meer…
25:07Sajid… Meer… The… Pakistanis… They… Are… So… Unscrupulous…
25:11They… Declared… Him… Dead… They… Had… Said… That… He… Had… Already… Been… Buried…
25:15Finally… When… The… FATF… Leaned… On… Them…
25:17They… Dug… Him… Out… From… The… Grave… Within… A… Week…
25:20They… Sentenced… Him… For… I… Think… 8… Years… Or… 10… Years…
25:23Nobody… Knows… Which… Jail… He… Is… In…
25:25Everybody… Knows… That… Hafiz… Saeed…
25:27Has… Also… Been… Sentenced… On… Terror… Finance… Charges…
25:30But… He… Is… Not… In… Jail… Anymore…
25:32So… Clearly… The… Pakistanis… Use… These… Trials…
25:35When… They… Are… Forced… To… As… An… Eyewash…
25:37So… I… Think… That… Is… Not… Punishment… Enough…
25:40And… India… Needs… To… Have… Some… System… Of… Meeting… Out… Punishment…
25:43To… These… People… Under… A… Legal… Process…
25:46Whether… That… Punishment… Is… Meted… Out… To… Them… In… An… Overt…
25:49O… Covert… Manner… That…
25:50That… Another… Matter… That… The… Government…
25:52And… The… Security… Agencies… Can… Decide…
25:54But… At… Least… You… Know… As… Far… As… Law… Fair… Is… Concern…
25:58That… You… Would… Have… Covered… All… The… Ends… And… I…
26:00Would…icial… That…
26:01That… This… Is… A… Golden… Opportunity… For… India… To… Go... Down… That… Road…
26:04And… It… It… Is… Not… Just… About… Pakistan… We… Are… Talking… On…
26:06It… Let… Talk… About… Bangladesh… There… Are… A… Terrorist… In… Bangladesh…
26:09Who… The…��tesi… Courts…
26:12Or… The….The… The… The… Current… Regime… In… Bangladesh…… Has… Let… Go…
26:14These… Are… People… Who… Who… Who… Globs… Are… Clear… And… Present…
26:15So… Is… In… India… Who… Have… Carried… tong… Chr…
26:17Act… Arhat… Territ… Ch…
26:19How… Can… They… B card…
26:28So I think this is a good opportunity to go down that road and plus finally, I think Rahul, the fact that, and I think this, the government deserves compliments for what it has done, that it kept a laser focus on this guy. They ensured and they negotiated diplomatically to get him back. That's good. But I think this is also an opportunity to keep the people in this country alive to what had happened on the 26th, 2008.
26:55Because we have the history of goldfish and nobody should be allowed to forget what the Pakistanis have done, not only on 26th 11, but in the train blast, in the Mumbai blast, in a number of other blasts in which thousands of people have been killed. And you can never forgive them or forget what they have done.
27:12Absolutely. The fact that, you know, memory was fading around, the specific role of Rana, Coleman Headley, the likes of Lakhui and Afi Saeed, it brings attention back to that case.
27:22We can't forget that. Rajita, Kulkarni is someone who would never possibly forget what happened because she's one of the survivors of the attacks.
27:29Yes, and ma'am, as somebody who lived through that ordeal, what does it mean to you, the fact that this guy is coming back after so much effort going into his extradition proceedings?
27:41Yes, thank you, Rahul, firstly, for making this subject a prime time discussion.
27:48Of course.
27:49With one of the previous speakers, I think Sushantji said, this is something which we should as a country never forgive and never forget.
27:57And I think I sit here today in front of you, not just as a survivor, but as a testament of the resilience, grit and the spirit that binds us as Indians.
28:07And today is a big day. I think it's a day of gratitude. It's a day of catharsis, 17 years hence, I think with a great amount of diplomatic effort and very strategic focus, our government has achieved this today.
28:22I would like to really thank the government of India and the Supreme Court of the U.S. and the President of the United States.
28:29In February, Mr. Trump said to Prime Minister Modi that he will extradite Rana and in a short while from then, this has happened.
28:40And it is him who announced it. So it is a matter of not just a strategic achievement for us.
28:47It's a very symbolic achievement. And this was not an ordinary event that happened.
28:54It was a 72-hour terrorist attack, three and a half days.
28:59The city of Mumbai, which is the commercial pulse of our country, was held to siege by these eight or ten, you know, we don't know the exact number of terrorists.
29:09And, you know, they just entered our nation like this. And I think today's event, this extradition, is a very strong message that we as a country are not a pushover.
29:20You cannot just enter our country and, you know, do terrorist activities.
29:24We are a top five economy of the world. We aspire to be a top three economy of the world.
29:30We cannot be pushed over. So, personally for me and I think for all those who martyred their lives, sacrificed their lives, the families, the survivors, and for everyone else as a country, I think it's a huge, extraordinary achievement.
29:46Okay. Yes, you're absolutely right. I want to spend some time with YC Modi on, you know, what happens next.
29:50I know there are two jails in Delhi and Mumbai that have been instructed to prepare for Rana's arrival.
29:56Even in Tehar Jail, there's a security assessment of what kind of cell will he be in.
30:00There's CCTV monitoring, inbuilt bathroom, surveillance of all activities.
30:04So, what kind of conditions is he likely to be in and who goes in, questions him and how long is that likely to continue for, sir?
30:13Mr. Modi?
30:14Frankly speaking, I don't know the specific details where he will be kept, but I can assure you that there is no danger to his security.
30:25We will, the Government of India and Delhi Police will ensure that he is given foolproof security and fair trial.
30:35This is, these are the benchmarks of Indian Judicial's large administration system and I'm sure that there is no danger to his security and there is, he will get fair trial.
30:49No, sure. No, so Mr. AP Singh, give us some insights into what happens in this case from here.
30:55He's been brought back, that is consequential.
30:58How long do you think this interrogation is typically, I mean, I know specifics are difficult to come by, but typically likely to go on for and then what happens next?
31:08See, now I'm not sure about what the new laws say, but earlier you could get him for 14 days custody.
31:16So, you know, when you apply for custody, you get him for, maximum is 14 days.
31:21And it can be, you know, broken into pieces, like you could take him for three days, give him back, then take him again.
31:28But 14 days was the maximum. Now, I think it is, I think the number of days has been increased under the new laws.
31:36So, we will have to see how long. And there will be sustained 24-hour interrogation of this guy.
31:41And as Mr. Modi also said, the main lesson from this is, we will be exposing the Pakistan deep state internationally.
31:48I mean, you know, you may not get these guys back. You may not get Lakvi and Hafiz Ait back in India for trial.
31:55But at least you are exposing the entire Pakistani deep state. And I am sure he will sing like a canary. Once…
32:02Why do you think he will sing like a canary? He is going to come out with him.
32:05Why do you feel that way? I mean, the other thing is, he is so hardened that he doesn't reveal very much. Why do you think he will sing?
32:10No, no, no. I think, I think he is a, he is basically a doctor. And he is, he has an immigration agency. He has been helping them.
32:19He is not a hardened, I don't, at least my impression is he is probably not a hardened criminal. He is, he is, he is very anti-India.
32:27He wants to, but he is not a trained terrorist as such. So, I am sure the Indian authorities will be able to break.
32:34So, let's, let's take a look at some of the other…
32:36The other accused. Now, as I said earlier, from the US itself, we have 65 extradition requests. I want to take you through some of the important names.
32:43So, there is Anmol Bishnai. He is Lawrence Bishnoi's brother. He is accused in the Baba Siddhi ki murder.
32:48He was arrested in the US in November 24 for using fake documents. India has requested his extradition.
32:53Then, there is Goldi Brar Satindarjeet Singh, mastermind of the Siddu Musevala murder. He is a UAPA designated terrorist based in California since 2017.
33:03We have requested his extradition as well. There is Ramachandran Vishwanathan, founder of Devas Multimedia, accused of money laundering and corruption.
33:12He is an economic offender. Then, there is Ami Nirav Modi, wife of Nirav Modi, accused in the Punjab National Bank fraud related case.
33:22There is Nelson, Kambatta chairperson of Kambatta Aviation, again accused of financial fraud. He is under Ediprope.
33:28There is James Larry Alford, accused in a case of outraging the modesty of women. There is Sahil Kumar, accused in a forged passport case.
33:36Now, Sushant Sarin, what more does India need to do to build on this momentum? Of course, 26-11 is an outlier in terms of how outrageous the attack was.
33:47But Anbol, Bishnoyi, Goldi, Brar, these are important people to get back. Your suggestions in terms of what we should do to move the extradition needle?
33:56Look, I think it depends on what is the quality of evidence that has been produced by India while we have sought their extradition.
34:05And there have been times when Rahul, to be quite honest, and with all due respect to the two senior gentlemen sitting on the show,
34:12the quality of evidence has left a lot to be desired because look, it's not the evidence that will hold in an Indian court.
34:19It's an evidence that will hold in a foreign court so that you can press for the extradition. And that is where...
34:26No, but that's a chicken and egg situation. I don't agree with you to the extent that a lot of the planning if it happens in Pakistan,
34:31say in some warehouse, outhouse in Karachi, and you've got officers here who are not allowed to go there,
34:36Pakistan's not cooperating. There are practical problems in compiling the evidence that you're asking for.
34:41Nahul, I'm not talking about the guys involved in 26-11. About that, I'm very clear what we need to do.
34:48Whatever evidence you have, you hold trials in absentia, you sentence those guys,
34:53so that you have the legal power to bump those guys off and administer punishment to them.
34:58And then you leave it to, you know, the unknown gunman to carry out the task of meeting out the punishment.
35:05Okay, that is one way of doing things. The other way of doing it is that you keep pressing the Pakistanis at a diplomatic level,
35:11that there will be no negotiations, nothing happening with you guys. We will punish you wherever we can,
35:17until and unless you hand over these characters. That's the second way of doing it.
35:21I don't think much is going to come out of the second way. They haven't even released
35:24Dawu Debrahimi move they've kept in protective custody for so many years, for decades now, right?
35:30But I'm talking about the other extradition requests, for example, Anmol Vishnoye or this guy Goldie Brar.
35:36What is the quality of evidence that has been produced? Is the evidence compelling enough to force the courts and get their extradition through?
35:47How do you close whatever are the loopholes? How do you get the best possible legal assistance inside the US to press for your case?
35:56In this particular case, in the case of Tahvur Rana, I would imagine that no effort and no expense would have been spared by the government of India to get his extradition.
36:06In fact, they would have pulled all the plugs with the American counterparts in the security agencies to make sure that, you know, they got all the cooperation we require.
36:15That's not going to happen in the cases of maybe some gangsters or maybe, you know, in the Devas case, I think I myself would have serious questions on the culpability of the guy.
36:25Okay, there was a certain political element to it. Some of the other cases, there has been a certain political element to it. And they really would not hold up in any court of law, even out here, if those guys were to come back.
36:37So I think you need to look at each case individually. But to the extent that the government of India put in the kind of effort and the kind of expense and ensured that this guy came back to India, I think they need to be lauded for that.
36:51Okay, I want to go across to India Today's contributor in Washington DC, Rohit Sharma. He now joins us on this broadcast. Rohit, explain what you've understood of the process within the United States and the role of President Trump in ensuring that Tahvur Rana actually comes back to India.
37:09This is one of our big achievements after the Abu Salim case where a high profile accused has been brought back. How did the United States push through on this?
37:18Well, look, I think a lot depends on the priorities of the administration, right? I mean, I think India has been bringing this up since I don't know when, since 2009, I think the first time he was arrested.
37:29But I think a lot of dependent on the progress both the countries have made over the years. I mean, yes, President Trump gets to, you know, take the final call and saying, yes, we'll do this. But I think there have been building blocks all along.
37:42And I think when this was presented to, you know, to the incoming administration, as far as I know, I think they were the ones to move it forward with and said, yes, we will do it if the courts allow it to happen.
37:52We also know that he's exhausted all, you know, his resources here in America. So there was nothing left as such. But allowing this extradition also helps Donald Trump and the Republican administration to send a deep message saying that they are willing to work with India on issues that matter to both the countries, despite the fact that there is a lot of disagreement, especially in other areas that as we're seeing right now.
38:16So I think, you know, he took the final call, the administration understood that it is important to build friendship and sort of send out a message that America is willing to work with India in multiple other ways.
38:26But at the same time, I think he'd exhausted all his sources, resources there. So honestly, they didn't have a choice but to take this action.
38:35Okay, I want to put a couple of final questions to AP Singh before we wrap up. Mr. Singh, can this be a precursor for other bigger achievements?
38:42Or do you think each case is different? Because, you know, Rohit spoke about the determination of the administration and the mood within the administration.
38:50What can India do to try and capitalize on that?
38:53See, let me explain this. There is a judicial process and like Mr. Surin very rightly said, you have to be able to produce enough evidence in courts which are acceptable in the US.
39:07So you have to work on that and ultimately you will get success. Now, unlike Europe where they point blank refuse to extradite anybody and you have seen that.
39:17For the last ten years we have had so many high profile cases. They don't, in the end they say that, you know, the Indian conditions are very inhospitable.
39:25The prisons, they will be tortured, they will be killed, whatever. So they don't extradite. And in the US and also in Europe you have to go through a process.
39:35So I think you will get extradition from the US. There are examples of people who have been extradited. It is just a matter of time.
39:44It takes, it is a process and you must present cogent evidence. You know, you must have the evidence which is that the offence in India is an offence in the US.
39:54There may be so many economic offences which may not be offences in the US which we are, for which we are wanting extradition and there are not offences there.
40:03So then extradition won't happen. So you have to first produce the US laws against the person that, yes, he is an offender under the US law as well.
40:13And then you may get success. So you have to really work on it. It is a process.
40:19You know, you have all been super sharp in your insights. The fact is India's investigative agencies often get pilloried for their inability to get these big scalps, get the big terrorists or the con men back home.
40:31This is one of our rare achievements, one of the big silver linings. And I hope that we are able to build on this and get more of these crooks and more of these terrorists back.
40:40Of course, as our guest said, it requires, it requires a lot of effort, painstaking effort, putting that research together, putting the investigation together and convincing courts in the US about and in Europe about the need for this.
40:53AP Singh, YC Modi for your work and for your insights. Thank you, Sushant Sareen and Rajita Kulkarni for joining me as well.
41:00Our teams are covering Rana's return to India very, very closely. You can catch our coverage all through the night and tomorrow right here on India Today.
41:09I'm slipping into a break. When we come back, India Today's special investigation reveals how sex determination tests of female feticide are still rampant in Haryana.
41:17Details coming up on the other side of a quick break.
41:23It was 10 years ago that Prime Minister Modi launched the Beti Bachao, Beti Padahao Abhyan. The goal was to improve the sex ratio by at least two points every year.
41:38Today, the campaign seems to have hit a wall. In India Today's special investigation has revealed the illegal network that has turned gender tests and female feticide into a thriving business.
41:49Watch this special report by our correspondent Shri Acharya Ji.
41:54Ten years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the iconic Beti Bachao, Beti Padahao campaign to improve the skewed sex ratio in Haryana and other North Indian states, the noble mission after some initial success seems to be faltering.
42:13In 2024 alone, 5,16,402 children were born in Haryana of which only 47.64% were girls.
42:28The sex ratio once a beacon of promise has plummeted from 923 in 2019 to 909 in March 2025.
42:43In 2015, there were 876 females per 1000 males in Haryana.
42:50The sex ratio hit a high of 923 females per 1000 males in 2019.
42:57This is why victims like Pooja Soni continue to seek justice.
43:12Married in 2015, the year the Beti Bachao slogan was coined, Pooja's firstborn was a girl child.
43:20She was then forced to undergo sex determination test during her subsequent pregnancies.
43:29Early this year, when she refused to abort and gave birth to her third baby child, she received a divorce notice from her husband.
43:37I hung back at one second, in New York placed the best place to endure her husband.
43:48The first and the first and the second day I explained to her child, the limit.
43:57So the next day remember that she was genesis and told me Diana.
44:00and the woman told me that she is a daughter.
44:03She told me about her and then he told me that she is a daughter.
44:07Then she told me that she is a daughter.
44:12So, you had three times in the US?
44:17Yes, yes, yes.
44:20After the time she told me that she was a daughter and then she said that she was a daughter.
44:25Then I said that she was a daughter to her.
44:31Then I said that she was going to go to her home.
44:39I told her that she is a daughter that was a daughter.
44:42Then I was going to get her daughter.
44:46Then she was a daughter and I was going to get her daughter.
44:49When did you get her daughter?
44:51Yes, of course.
44:53The Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques Act
45:22The PCPNDT Act was enacted in 1994. Its aim was to combat female foeticide with stopping the misuse of prenatal diagnostic technology for sex determination. Under this law, any attempt to determine or disclose the sex of an unborn child can get you up to three years in jail for a first offence and five years for repeat violations.
45:46Yet, despite these penal provisions, enforcement of the law remains weak. And the biggest factor driving these illegal abortions is the societal attitude.
45:59Social activists say, Haryana is still a long, long way from gender equality and justice.
46:08Social activists say, Haryana is still a long way from gender equality to gender equality.
46:17When I go to the field, they don't want to talk about this topic on this topic.
46:30You don't have to know how much you have to deal with your family.
46:36India's special investigation team went undercover to the low sex ratio districts of Haryana.
46:57What we found was disturbing, shocking and absolutely real.
47:04Our first stop was Hussar, about 230 kilometers from Delhi.
47:12Here, we were told about a network so brazen that repeated police actions against doubts and illegal abortion rackets had only temporarily halted their operations.
47:25In his hour, one man, Dr. Anantaram, an accused in five sex determination offences, had been to jail and yet managed to contest the Haryana elections on a Janayak Janata party ticket.
47:39This just proves how entrenched this illegal network is in Haryana.
47:47Now that we've seen the stark reality of Haryana's gender crisis and the heavy toll it takes on families, let's dive deeper.
47:57In this segment, we pull back the curtains on the mechanics of this grim trade, the people behind the illegal sex determination network and their secret operation.
48:09Who are the people behind the illegal sex determination rackets and how do they operate?
48:14Watch part two of this India Today's special investigation.
48:18With the help of our contacts in Hussar, we made a breakthrough.
48:32We were given the details of a woman named Usha at the Hussar civil hospital.
48:37Usha worked as a health worker in AIDS prevention, but behind that facade was a key player and a trusted doubt in the illegal sex test business.
48:50To expose this racket, we went undercover, posing as a family from Panipat.
48:57We dialed Usha for an appointment, saying we were desperate to ascertain the gender of our unborn child.
49:03Hello?
49:07Ushaji?
49:08Ushaji, I'm here.
49:09Ushaji, I'm talking about the house.
49:11We had to do a USG for our wife.
49:15I was coming to the civil hospital.
49:19How did you do this?
49:22I was two daughters.
49:24We had a chance for the daughter of the third.
49:26Who has given us?
49:28We had to do this in the hospital.
49:31We had to do this in the hospital.
49:33We had to do this in the hospital.
49:34Yes, in the hospital.
49:35Hussar.
49:36Yes.
49:37Yes.
49:38Yes.
49:39Yes.
49:40Convinced about her background, Usha finally agreed to facilitate the test.
49:44She spoke in a business-like tone, explaining the cold economics of the illegal business.
49:50Usha was running towards the Ubi.
49:51Kish, I'm using the nenek.
49:52Maybe a development of our alts.
49:53He's wearing a baghash and he's wearing two lakh rupees.
49:56It's the dark.
49:57It's the dark.
49:58What is it?
49:59It's a very dark.
50:00Acorns that's full color.
50:01What is the color?
50:02It's the color.
50:03Okay.
50:04From his hour to the farthest corners of Haryana, the price for deciding the fate of her foetus ranges between Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1,000,000.
50:15And Usha was only the tip of the iceberg. She agreed to meet us in person to seal the deal.
50:22Talking to Usha, we also learnt that this was not the case.
50:40Talking to Usha, we also learnt this was not the case.
50:51It was a full package deal.
50:55So how does this racket thrive despite a strict law?
51:25First, it is difficult to track down slippery touts and secretive clinics.
51:31The other factor is new technology.
51:34Ultralight USG scanners controlled through mobile phones smuggled in through the porous Nepal border
51:40enable criminals to conduct illegal sex tests anywhere, from rented rooms to moving vehicles.
51:46To pin down such underground networks, the PCP and DT raiding teams mostly rely on decoy patients.
51:55We spoke to one such decoy, Neelam, who has risked her life to expose rampant feticide in Haryana.
52:02The police are doing less than five or seven prairies.
52:06Who are the不好 of maleators, ladies, parents, aunts, aunts, aunts, they tell us that we are a daughter, son,
52:13who will be a daughter, who will own her daughter.
52:15Their daughters are along.
52:16The ones that made me, I was three brothers.
52:18The pressurized me that I failed to.
52:20I couldn't do it.
52:22A aunt told me that you have no mother who had built an understatement, but you didn't have support.
52:26Our daughters have given us the name of our family, you have ended up rejecting their name.
52:31the illegal sex test racket is not confined to Haryana alone it is as
52:38rampant in Punjab Rajasthan Delhi and neighboring Uttar Pradesh during our
52:44investigation we also managed to get clinching proof of an illegal sex
52:49determination clinic operating in Western Uttar Pradesh the video was
52:53captured four to five years ago by the Haryana PCP and DTT and is part of the
52:59case evidence
53:29The doctor, seen in this hidden camera footage, was arrested, but walked out in bail.
53:43He's perhaps back to his business.
53:45Our investigation also led us an accused under the PCPNDT Act, who is now out on bail.
54:03Rakesh Ahuja, a known offender, was arrested after a raid in Hisar village,
54:07where he was caught conducting an illegal ultrasound procedure, along with two others.
54:12In a bid to escape, Ahuja jumped off the roof of the house, breaking his leg in the process.
54:18I left, but I left.
54:37Despite his injury and legal troubles, Ahuja continues to run a makeshift clinic.
54:43He denies his involvement in the illegal ultrasounds test, claiming he was merely accompanying a friend when the raid happened.
54:52Yet, in the same breath, he complains that he never got paid for all his troubles on that fateful day.
54:57When asked how his friend managed to escape, Ahuja claimed that the police took 10 lakh rupees bribe to let him go.
55:27Ahuja further revealed how notorious operators like Dr. Anant Ram continue to run their business without fear.
55:46According to him, Anant Ram, who is currently in jail, still manages to organize ultrasound procedures from behind bars.
55:57No, he is in jail for the Supreme Court.
56:06Oh, I have been in jail for the Supreme Court.
56:09I have been in jail for the court, and I have been in jail for the police.
56:13Wait a second, what is ultrasound? Normal ultrasound?
56:16Normal ultrasound.
56:17No, no.
56:18No.
56:19No.
56:20You watched how ruthless and cold they were born.
56:25and cold the people operating these underground clinics are. The story now
56:33takes an even more personal turn as I go in as a decoy in a Beti Bachao, Beti
56:40Padao raid. Stay tuned for a raid that has been caught on camera.
56:48This is where I wrap up the news track tonight for your time and your trust
56:52thank you very much. I look forward to seeing you at 8pm tomorrow evening. Till then from all of us here
56:56bye, good night.