NEW DELHI: Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, who played a pivotal role in the extradition of 26/11 co-conspirator David Coleman Headley, will now lead the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) prosecution team in the case against Tahawwur Rana, sources confirmed.
Krishnan will be joined by special prosecutor Narender Mann, a veteran criminal lawyer who previously represented the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi High Court.
According to sources, Krishnan was instrumental in building the extradition case against Rana, working closely with the NIA and US authorities since the process began in 2019-2020. While his role was unofficial due to U.S. legal restrictions, Krishnan and his team traveled with the NIA to the United States, presenting evidence that ultimately led to the dismissal of all of Rana’s appeals.
“He played a key role in distinguishing India’s charges against Rana from those for which he had already been prosecuted in the U.S.,” an NIA official said.
Krishnan is widely respected for his work on high-profile legal matters. Notably, he was appointed as the special public prosecutor in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. At the time, he volunteered to lead the case pro bono, stating, “In the aftermath of the crime, I felt I owed a duty to society. I would surely not make money when I discharge my duty to society.”
An alumnus of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, Krishnan has a legal career spanning nearly 30 years. His portfolio includes landmark cases such as the 2001 Parliament attack, the Kaveri river water dispute, telecom scam litigation, the Goa child abuse scandal, the Nitish Katara murder case, and the Uphaar cinema tragedy.
Joining him in the prosecution of Rana, Narender Mann brings over three decades of legal experience. A graduate of Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre and Kirori Mal College, Mann will serve in his current role for three years or until the conclusion of the trial, whichever comes first.
Rana, a childhood friend of David Headley, is accused of aiding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. His extradition is seen as a significant step in holding all conspirators accountable for one of India’s deadliest terror attacks.
