Canada moves to revoke Tahawwur Rana's citizenship ahead of Carney's India visit

As Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares to visit India on February 26, his government has initiated proceedings to revoke the citizenship of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, according to Global News.

Rana, 65, is currently in custody in India, where he awaits trial for allegedly facilitating the 26/11 attacks carried out by Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai. The attack left more than 160 people dead.

Documents accessed by Global News show that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has formally notified Rana of its intent to strip him of the Canadian citizenship he obtained in 2001. He had immigrated to Canada in 1997.

However, the revocation is reportedly not tied to terrorism allegations. Instead, the department says Rana secured citizenship through misrepresentation.

In a letter dated May 31, 2024, IRCC told Rana that he appeared to have misrepresented his residence in Canada during the application process for citizenship by deliberately failing to declare his bouts of absence from Canada.

When he applied in 2000, Rana reportedly claimed that he had lived in Ottawa and Toronto for four years, declaring only a six-day absence during that period. But an investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police found he had spent most of that time in Chicago, where he owned several properties and operated businesses, including an immigration consultancy and a grocery store, Global News reported.

The department described the case as involving serious and deliberate deception, adding that his misrepresentation led officials to believe he met the residency requirements when he apparently did not.

The matter has now been referred to the Federal Court of Canada, which will determine whether his citizenship was obtained by false representation or fraud or by knowingly concealing material circumstances.

Rana’s legal counsel argues that the IRCC's decision is unfair and violates his rights. A hearing was held in Federal Court last week, where government lawyers sought permission to withhold certain sensitive national security information.

An immigration department spokesperson told Global News that cancelling citizenship in cases of misrepresentation is "an important tool for maintaining the integrity of Canadian citizenship". The spokesperson added that the government "does not take the revocation of citizenship lightly" and that the Federal Court ensures the process is fair.

A review of past cases found that such revocations are rare, with only a handful reported over the past decade, Global News said in its report.

Rana was arrested by India’s Investigation Agency (NIA) on April 10, 2025, after his extradition from the United States was approved. He was flown to New Delhi from Los Angeles on a special aircraft, escorted by personnel from the NIA and the Security Guard.

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