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US Supreme Court approves Tahawwur Rana’s extradition to India in 26/11 Mumbai attack case

Taj Hotel in Mumbai, photographed on June 10, 2017, after it endured devastating damage during the 2008 attacks. [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]

The US Supreme Court has rejected Tahawwur Rana’s appeal against his extradition to India, allowing the process to move forward.

Rana, a Canadian of Pakistani origin, is wanted in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. This decision marks his final legal effort to avoid extradition, following earlier defeats in various federal courts, including the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco.

Rana, aged 64 and currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, had filed a petition for a writ of certiorari before the US Supreme Court on November 13. The Court denied this petition on January 21, the day after Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration.

US Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar argued against granting relief from extradition, emphasising that Rana’s conduct, including alleged forgery charges, differed from those previously addressed in his Chicago trial related to the Mumbai attacks.

Despite Rana’s arguments regarding previous acquittals and the nature of the charges, Prelogar maintained that India’s extradition request was valid and not fully covered by previous legal proceedings in the United States.

Rana’s association with David Coleman Headley, a key figure in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, underscores the severity of the allegations. The attacks resulted in the deaths of 166 people, including six Americans, during a prolonged siege targeting prominent locations across Mumbai.

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