New Delhi: In a significant blow to Tahawwur Rana, the US Supreme Court has rejected his final attempt to block extradition to India, a move that inches him closer to facing trial for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. This decision underscores a major diplomatic victory for India in its pursuit of justice for the tragic events that left 166 victims in its wake. Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin once based in Chicago, is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, where he has been serving time after a conviction in 2011.
Rana’s association with terrorism runs deep, including ties to David Coleman Headley, a key conspirator in the 26/11 attacks. Headley used Rana’s immigration consultancy as a cover to conduct reconnaissance in Mumbai before the attacks. Rana’s own conviction in the US was for providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the organization behind the massacres.
The attacks themselves were a series of brutal assaults on hotels, a train station, and a Jewish center in Mumbai, orchestrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to India. Pakistan denies any involvement despite evidence pointing to the group’s culpability. Rana’s efforts to avoid extradition included a late-stage legal maneuver, filing an “Emergency Application For Stay Pending Litigation of Petition For Writ of Habeas Corpus,” which was ultimately denied by the court.
This denial follows a previous rejection by a judge last month, further solidifying Rana’s path to India. The extradition approval was notably announced by President Donald Trump during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February this year, highlighting the international cooperation in pursuing justice for the attacks.
Sorry, there was a YouTube error.
