United States, January 25:
The United States Supreme Court has approved the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, convicted in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, to India. This decision came after the dismissal of Rana’s final review petition against the extradition.
Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani descent, is wanted by Indian authorities for his role in the 26/11 attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 166 people, including six Americans. The attacks were carried out by 10 Pakistani terrorists over a 60-hour siege at prominent locations in Mumbai.
This marked Rana’s last legal recourse to avoid extradition to India, following multiple unsuccessful appeals in U.S. federal courts, including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. On November 13, Rana filed a “petition for a writ of certiorari” with the Supreme Court, which was denied on January 21.
The Supreme Court issued a simple statement: “Petition DENIED,” sealing Rana’s fate. He is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.
Previously, the U.S. government had advocated for denying Rana’s petition, with Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar arguing that he was not eligible for relief from extradition. In a December 16 filing, Prelogar stated that India’s charges against Rana included forgery linked to the 2008 attacks, which extended beyond the scope of charges addressed in his earlier trial in the Northern District of Illinois, Chicago.
Rana had argued that he had already been tried and acquitted in the Chicago court on charges related to the Mumbai attacks. However, Prelogar contended that not all actions forming the basis of India’s extradition request were part of the U.S. prosecution, citing the forgery charge involving false information submitted to the Reserve Bank of India.
Rana is closely associated with David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American terrorist and key planner of the Mumbai attacks. Headley’s involvement was instrumental in the execution of the coordinated attacks.
This decision brings India one step closer to prosecuting Rana for his alleged role in one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in its history.
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