New Delhi: Ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India, the Canadian government has begun revoking the citizenship of Pakistani-born businessman Tahawwur Rana, who is currently on trial in India for helping mastermind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people.However, the move to revoke his citizenship was not based on terrorism charges, but on alleged misrepresentations in his citizenship application. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) accused Rana of lying about his residency history, according to documents obtained by Global News. In his 2000 application, he claimed he had lived in Ottawa and Toronto for four years and was only outside Canada for six days. Rana immigrated to Canada in 1997 and became a Canadian citizen in 2001. A later investigation by Canadian police found that he actually spent most of his time in Chicago, where he owned properties and businesses, including an immigration company and a grocery store.In a letter dated May 31, 2024, IRCC told Rana that he had lied about his time in Canada and failed to declare absences. The department described it as “serious and deliberate deception” and said his actions lacked respect for Canada’s citizenship laws.The case has now been moved to federal court, which will decide whether his citizenship was obtained through misrepresentation or fraud.
