Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is nearing extradition from the U.S. to India, sources say, with a multi-agency Indian team currently in the U.S. finalizing legalities. While not expected on Wednesday, officials indicate a “very high possibility” of his transfer soon, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of his final appeal on Monday. The 64-year-old, held in Los Angeles, had sought to block his handover, but justices denied his emergency application.
Rana’s plea to the Supreme Court, initially rejected by Justice Elena Kagan and later by Chief Justice John Roberts after a full court review, argued that extradition would violate U.S. law and the UN Convention Against Torture. Citing his Pakistani-Muslim background, the Mumbai charges, and severe health issues including heart attacks, Parkinson’s, and possible cancer he claimed detention in India could lead to torture and death. New York attorney Ravi Batra told PTI that Rana’s efforts to stay in the U.S. ultimately failed, paving the way for his transfer.
A Canadian of Pakistani origin, Rana is tied to David Coleman Headley, a key planner of the 26/11 attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans, during a 60-hour siege in Mumbai. President Donald Trump, in a February press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, endorsed extraditing the “very evil” Rana. As preparations conclude, this move signals a major step toward justice for the deadly assault.
