Washington D.C. / New Delhi:
In a major development related to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the United States Supreme Court has dismissed the petition filed by Tahawwur Rana, effectively clearing the path for his extradition to India. Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman, is accused of aiding and abetting the 2008 attacks that left 166 people dead and hundreds injured.
Rana had filed an appeal seeking to halt the extradition process, citing legal grounds and concerns over his rights. However, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene, upholding a previous ruling by a lower court that had approved his extradition to India.
The decision marks a significant victory for Indian authorities, who have been pursuing Rana’s custody for over a decade. He is accused of working in collaboration with David Coleman Headley, the key conspirator in the 26/11 attacks, who turned approver in the case and testified that Rana had knowingly supported his surveillance missions in Mumbai.
India had formally requested Rana's extradition in 2020 under the India-US Extradition Treaty, and U.S. authorities arrested him in Los Angeles shortly after. Since then, he has remained in federal custody while his legal team fought the extradition request in various courts.
The rejection of the plea by the U.S. Supreme Court effectively ends Rana’s legal avenues in the United States and paves the way for his transfer to India, pending final approval by the U.S. Secretary of State.
Indian officials welcomed the decision, calling it an important step towards justice for the victims of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the country’s history. Legal experts in India say that once extradited, Rana could face trial under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and Explosives Act.
The extradition, once finalized, is expected to provide a major boost to India’s efforts in holding all collaborators of the 26/11 attacks accountable.
