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Washington DC: The US Supreme Court has approved the extradition of Mumbai attack convict Tahawwur Rana to India, dismissing his review petition against the move. Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, has been long sought by India for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, which resulted in the deaths of over 170 individuals.
Previously, Rana had faced multiple legal setbacks, including unsuccessful appeals in several federal courts and the US Court of Appeals for the North Circuit in San Francisco. Despite these challenges, he made a final step and filed a “petition for a writ of certiorari” before the US Supreme Court on November 13. However, on January 21, a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the American President, the apex court rejected his petition, with the final ruling, “Petition DENIED.”
Rana is currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. India has long sought his extradition for his alleged ties to Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative David Coleman Headley, who played a pivotal role in 26/11 attack in Mumbai.
Rana was previously prosecuted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, where he faced a second superseding indictment with three charges. He was convicted on Count 11 (conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in Denmark) and Count 12 (providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiyba). On January 7, 2013, the court sentenced Rana to 168 months in prison.
In June 2020, a Magistrate Judge in California, where Rana was serving his sentence, issued a provisional arrest warrant in preparation for his potential extradition to India. The charges against him in India include conspiracy to commit a variety of crimes such as waging war, murder, forgery, and terrorism act. Rana has remained in custody throughout the extradition proceedings.
However, he opposed the extradition, but on May 16, 2023, the extradition magistrate judge rejected his arguments and certified him as extraditable. He then filed a habeas corpus petition in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. On August 15, 2024, the Ninth Circuit Court upheld the decision of the habeas court, dismissing Rana’s arguments.
(with inputs from agencies)