In a big diplomatic win for India, the US Supreme Court on Saturday cleared the extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict Tahawwur Rana’s extradition, reported PTI. Rana, a Pakistan-origin Canadian businessman, has been wanted in India in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks case. The US Supreme Court dismissed his review petition against the extradition orders.
India was seeking the extradition of Rana. Notably, it was the Rana’s last chance to save himself from extradition.
Earlier, he lost a legal battle in several federal courts, including the US Court of Appeals for the North Circuit in San Francisco.
On November 13, Rana filed a “petition for a writ of certiorari” before the US Supreme Court. This was denied by the apex court on January 21, a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the American President.
“Petition DENIED,” the Supreme Court said.
Rana is currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.
In July last year, A US court rejected the USD 1.5 million bail application of the Pakistani-origin Canadian describing him a flight risk.
Rana, a childhood friend of David Coleman Headley, was re-arrested on June 10 last year in Los Angeles on an extradition request by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed. He is a declared fugitive in India.
US District Court Judge in Los Angeles Jacqueline Chooljian, in her 24-page order dated July 21, denied bail to Rana arguing that he is a flight risk.
In August last year, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Rana was “extraditable to India” citing the extradition treaty between two countries.
Rana along with Headley planned the Mumbai terror attack. The Pakistan-origin businessman assisted terrorists with reconnaissance efforts. The Mumbai Police named Rana in its comprehensive 405-page chargesheet as an operative for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) having links with terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Notably, Rana was convicted in Chicago in 2011 of providing material support to LeT, which planned the Mumbai terror attack and for supporting a never-carried-out plot to attack a Danish newspaper that printed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed in 2005.
(With inputs from PTI)
