Father of slain Mumbai cop seeks death penalty for 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana
Tahawwur Rana, who is a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, is reportedly being extradited to India and was on a flight on Wednesday evening.
The father of a Security Reserve Police Force (SRPF) constable killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks has called for the death penalty for Tahawwur Rana, who is alleged to have played a key role in the attacks and is being extradited to India from the US.
Subhash Shinde, whose son served in the police, spoke of having to deal with a persistent mental trauma from 16 years ago. He reiterated his calls for the death penalty for Tahawwur Rana, emphasising the continuing impact the horrific events have had on him, according to news agency PTI report.
Subhash Shinde, the father of the slain SRPF constable, Rahul Shinde was quoted by PTI stating that due to the serious accusations of the attacks, 166 lives have been lost, and quick and harsh punishment of all those accused in these attacks will be a meaningful tribute to the police officers and civilians who died in these terror strikes.
Connections with David Coleman
Tahawwur Rana, who is a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, is reportedly being extradited to India from the US. Sources cited in reports stated that a multi-agency group was in the US to formally extradite him after the US Supreme Court denied his latest, but unsuccessful, petition to halt the extradition. He was being detained in Los Angeles and was reportedly on a flight to India on Wednesday evening.
Tahawwur Rana is known to have connections with David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators in the 26/11 attacks.
Subhash Shinde, now 65-year-old said, "So many people were killed in the deadly attack and the trauma of the attack still lingers in my mind even though more than 16 years have passed (since the incident)."
"As Rana's role has come to light in the terror attack, we should not spare him by keeping him alive in prison; he should be hanged," news agency PTI quoted Shinde.
He stated that Pakistan's involvement has now been revealed, and the world is aware of it, concluding that all those involved in the plot should be held accountable.
He added, "Whenever I talk about the attack, I can visualise the terrible images of the terror assault. The damage we have suffered, the loss of lives of our policemen, soldiers and citizens, cannot be forgotten."
Uncovering the full extent of the conspiracy and holding all those responsible accountable would be a fitting tribute to the police officers and civilians who lost their lives, he added.
Another police officer, who was injured in the attack but preferred to remain anonymous, stated that the authorities should take appropriate and decisive action against Rana due to his involvement in the crime.
Rahul Shinde, first constable to enter Taj Hotel during 26/11 attacks
Rahul Shinde, a constable with the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), was among the first officers to enter the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in South Mumbai when it was attacked by terrorists on November 26, 2008. He was killed while fighting the attackers.
Subhash Shinde lives on a farm in Solapur district, Maharashtra. The village of Sultanpur in Madha Taluka, where he is from, has been renamed Rahul Nagar in honour of his son.
His other son, Pravin, runs an LPG agency provided by the government.
On November 26, 2008, a group of 10 Pakistani terrorists launched a coordinated attack across Mumbai, targeting a railway station, two luxury hotels, and a Jewish centre after arriving via the Arabian Sea. The attackers killed 166 people, including nationals from the US, UK, and Israel. The nearly 60-hour siege shocked the country and brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war. The terrorists targeted iconic sites such as the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, Leopold Café, Chabad House, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (railway station), all of which had been scouted by Headley beforehand. Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only surviving attacker, was executed at Yerawada Jail, Pune, in November 2012.
In October 2009, almost a year after the attacks, the FBI arrested Rana in Chicago for providing material support to the attacks in Mumbai and a separate attack in Copenhagen. India has long sought Rana's extradition due to his links with Pakistan-based terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul Jihadi Islami (HUJI), as well as his role in the 26/11 attacks.
