The Lawyer Who Brought Tahawwur Rana to India: Dayan Krishnan’s Journey

Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan played a pivotal role in the successful extradition of Tahawwur Rana, the key accused in the Mumbai bomb blasts case, from the United States to India. His involvement has brought him national recognition for his legal expertise and commitment to criminal justice.

Dayan Krishnan represented the Government of India in the U.S. court proceedings, where he presented arguments that led to the approval of Rana’s extradition. He is also scheduled to represent the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the upcoming trial against Tahawwur Rana in the Delhi Special Court.

A practicing senior advocate in the Supreme Court of India, Dayan Krishnan is regarded as one of the country’s most prominent criminal lawyers. He earned his law degree from the National Law School in 1993 and began independent practice in 1999. Over the years, he has appeared in several high-profile cases, including the 2001 Parliament attack case and the Cauvery river water dispute, gaining notable recognition for his courtroom skills.

In 2012, he served as the Special Public Prosecutor in the sensational Nirbhaya case. Since 2010, Krishnan has been involved in prosecuting matters related to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Specifically, he has acted as Special Public Prosecutor in the extradition cases of David Headley and Tahawwur Rana from the United States.

He was officially appointed to these roles in 2014. A ruling delivered two years ago by a U.S. court in the Tahawwur Rana case became a turning point. The judge concurred with the arguments made by Dayan Krishnan, resulting in a verdict favoring Rana's extradition. This decision was later upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States, marking a significant development in India’s efforts to bring the accused to justice.