Canada has started proceedings to strip Tahawwur Rana of his citizenship. Rana is the man accused of helping plan the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people. The move comes just days before Prime Minister Mark Carney flies to India to mend broken ties and negotiate a massive trade deal.
But here is the twist. Canada is not taking his citizenship because of terrorism. They are taking it because he lied on a form 25 years ago.
Who Is Tahawwur Rana?
Rana is a 65-year-old Pakistan-born businessman. He immigrated to Canada in 1997. He became a citizen in 2001. But American investigators later linked him to one of the deadliest terror attacks in modern history.
The 2008 Mumbai attacks lasted three days. Gunmen targeted hotels, a train station, a Jewish center. When it was over, 166 people were gone. Rana’s childhood friend, David Headley, scouted the locations. He posed as an employee of Rana’s immigration firm. He took videos. He made maps. Then the terrorists followed his path.
Rana was arrested in 2009. He was convicted in the U.S. for helping plot an attack on a Danish newspaper. But a jury acquitted him of direct involvement in Mumbai. Still, India always wanted him. And last April, they got him.
Why Is Canada Taking His Citizenship Now?
The timing is hard to ignore.
Prime Minister Mark Carney leaves for India on February 26. He will visit Mumbai first, then New Delhi. He will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They plan to talk about trade, energy, technology, and defense. Two-way trade between Canada and India hit $30.8 billion last year. They want to more than double that by 2030.
And just before he leaves, Canada announces it is revoking the citizenship of a man India calls a “mastermind” of the Mumbai attacks.
Why Are They Really Taking It?
Because Rana lied.
When he applied for citizenship in 2000, Rana filled out forms. He said he had lived in Ottawa and Toronto for four years. He said he left Canada for only six days during that whole time. But an RCMP investigation found something different. Rana actually spent almost all those years in Chicago. He owned property there. He ran businesses there. He was hardly in Canada at all.
The Immigration Department called it “a serious and deliberate deception.” They said his lies led officials to grant citizenship he did not deserve. So the government referred his case to the Federal Court. Only the court can officially strip citizenship. And that process is moving forward now.
Does This Mean Canada Is Helping India?
Relations between Canada and India hit rock bottom under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In 2023, Trudeau accused Indian agents of killing a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil. India called the accusation absurd. Both sides expelled diplomats. Trade talks collapsed.
But Carney won the election last April. And things started to change. He invited PM Modi to the G7 summit. His foreign minister visited New Delhi. Now Carney is going to India himself. And the Rana citizenship case is moving at the same time.
Some will see this as a gesture. A way to smooth things over before the big meeting. But officially, it is just paperwork. A lie caught up with a man 25 years later.
What Happens to Rana Now?
He is in India. In custody. Waiting for trial. After the U.S. extradited him last April, Indian officials took him to Delhi. A special plane. Armed escorts. He was produced before a court and sent to NIA custody. That was almost a year ago. His trial continues.
If Canada’s Federal Court approves the citizenship revocation, Rana will become a permanent resident instead of a citizen. But for now, he is India’s problem.
What Does Carney Visist Means for India?
His office says he wants “ambitious new partnerships.” Trade. Energy. Technology. Artificial intelligence. Defense. He wants to double two-way trade to $70 billion by 2030. The trip is part of a larger strategy. Carney is also visiting Australia and Japan. Canada is trying to rely less on the United States.
India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy. And Carney wants to be the one who makes the deal happen.
FAQs
Q: Why is Canada revoking Tahawwur Rana’s citizenship?
A: Officially, because he lied on his citizenship application in 2000. He claimed he lived in Canada for four years but actually spent most of that time in Chicago.
Q: Is this connected to Prime Minister Carney’s India visit?
A: The timing is notable, but the revocation process started years ago. The government says it is about maintaining citizenship integrity, not diplomacy.
Q: Where is Rana now?
A: He is in Indian custody, extradited from the U.S. in April 2025. He is awaiting trial on charges related to the Mumbai attacks.
Q: What does Carney want from India?
A: A major trade deal. Canada wants to double two-way trade to $70 billion by 2030 through partnerships in energy, technology, AI, and defense.
Disclaimer: This information is based on inputs from news agency reports. TSG does not independently confirm the information provided by the relevant sources.
