The US Supreme Court rejected an emergency plea by Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, seeking to block his extradition to India. Rana had opposed his transfer, but the court dismissed his request. With this decision, his extradition process moves forward. India has been pursuing his return to face trial.
The United States Supreme Court denied an “emergency application” filed by Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, which sought to block his extradition to India.
Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani descent, argued that his extradition would expose him to the risk of torture due to his background as a Muslim from Pakistan.
In his petition, he claimed that extraditing him to India would violate U.S. law and the United Nations Convention Against Torture, asserting that “there are substantial grounds for believing that, if extradited to India, petitioner will be in danger of being subjected to torture.”
Rana’s application emphasized that his “severe medical conditions” would effectively turn extradition into a “de facto” death sentence, citing medical records from July 2024 that revealed multiple serious health issues, including heart attacks, Parkinson’s disease, potential bladder cancer, and chronic kidney disease.
He warned that failing to grant a stay would mean “there will be no review at all, and the US courts will lose jurisdiction, and the petitioner will soon be dead.”
This decision comes shortly after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump, during which Trump announced the extradition of “very evil” Rana to face justice in India for his involvement in the 26/11 attacks that claimed 166 lives.
The attacks, which targeted eight locations in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, concluded with rescue operations on November 29. Rana, who is 64 years old, is linked to David Coleman Headley, a key conspirator in the attacks.
Government sources informed that all necessary legal documents have been shared with U.S. authorities, and a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is set to travel to the U.S. once clearance is obtained. The NIA had filed a chargesheet in 2011 against nine individuals, including Rana, for their roles in planning and executing the Mumbai terror attacks.
Previously, Rana was prosecuted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and charged with:
- Count 11: Conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in Denmark
- Count 12: Providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)
Also Read: 26/11 Accused Tahawwur Rana Likely To be Extradited to India: US Supreme Court to Decide
India has charged Rana with conspiracy to commit multiple offenses, including:
- Waging war against the country
- Murder
- Forgery
- Committing terrorist acts
With the US courts rejecting all of Rana’s appeals, his extradition to India is now imminent. The recall of trial records by the Patiala House Court signals that Indian authorities are preparing to prosecute him in Delhi.
This is an important step in India’s ongoing effort to get justice for the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.