In a significant legal setback for 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana, the United States Supreme Court has rejected his emergency plea opposing extradition to India. This ruling paves the way for Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, to be sent to India to face trial for his role in the deadly 2008 terror attack.
Rana had moved an “Emergency Application For Stay” with the US Supreme Court, claiming that his extradition would violate US law and the United Nations Convention Against Torture. He argued that as a Muslim of Pakistani origin, he would face the risk of torture in India. However, the court dismissed his petition, reinforcing earlier rulings that cleared the path for his extradition.
Rana, currently held at a detention center in Los Angeles, is known to have close ties with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, a key conspirator in the Mumbai attacks. A former Pakistani military doctor turned Canadian businessman, Rana was convicted in the US in 2011 for providing material support to the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and for conspiring to attack a Danish newspaper.
The Biden administration has upheld the decision to extradite Rana, following a January ruling that denied his review petition. The US government has classified Rana as a “fugitive” and maintained that he poses a flight risk, leading to the rejection of his bail plea.