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The Canadian government is preparing to cancel the citizenship of 26/11 attack accused Tahawwur Rana. It is alleged that he had given wrong information in the citizenship application. The case is in the federal court, while Rana is in NIA custody in India.
26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Tahawwur Rana
New Delhi: Ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney's proposed visit to India, the Canadian government has expedited the process of revoking the citizenship of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana. Rana, 64, of Pakistani origin, is accused of playing an important role in the conspiracy of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He has been a close associate of David Coleman Headley, alias Dawood Geelani, who was one of the main conspirators of the attack.
The Department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRCC) of Canada has sent a notice to Rana informing him that action is being taken to cancel his Canadian citizenship. However, this step has not been taken on the basis of terrorism allegations but due to the alleged giving of false information during the citizenship application.
According to the report, when Rana applied for citizenship in 2000, he claimed that he had been living in Ottawa and Toronto for the last four years and had gone out of the country only for six days during this period. But an investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) revealed that he lived most of his time in Chicago, where he owned several businesses and properties.
The IRCC said in its decision that Rana committed "serious and deliberate fraud" and concealed his absence. The department says that on the basis of this wrong information, he was given Canadian citizenship in 2001. The case has now been referred to the Federal Court, where the final decision will be taken on whether the citizenship was obtained on the basis of “false information or fraud."
Tahawwur Rana was extradited from the US to India in April 2025. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested him as soon as he reached New Delhi. 166 people lost their lives in the 26/11 attacks, making it one of the worst terrorist attacks in the history of India.
At the same time, Rana's lawyer has challenged the decision of revoking the citizenship in the court. They argue that this decision is unfair and violates their rights. Recently this case was also heard in the Federal Court. The government has sought permission from the court to keep sensitive information related to national security confidential.
The Canadian government says revoking citizenship is not a step to be taken lightly, but it is necessary to maintain the sanctity of citizenship laws. Very few such cases have come to light in the last ten years, from which the seriousness of this action can be gauged.
