In a desperate bid to prevent extradition, Tahawwur Rana, who is charged in the 26/11 terror strikes, has petitioned the US Supreme Court for an emergency stay on his extradition to India. In his petition, Rana claims that he will be in danger of being tortured and even killed if he is extradited.
Rana’s extradition was approved by the Trump administration during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the United States. The petition highlights his Pakistani Muslim background and former association with the Pakistani Army, claiming these factors increase his vulnerability to mistreatment in custody, especially given his health issues. Rana has reported suffering from Parkinson’s disease, possible bladder cancer, and a significant abdominal aortic aneurysm, which poses a risk of rupture.
He protested against being sent to a “hornet’s nest,” pointing out that if there was no stay, the US courts would be deprived of jurisdiction, and he would be placed at serious risk. The petition also charges the Indian government with autocratic tendencies, citing a Human Rights Watch report that documents widespread discrimination against religious minorities, and in particular Muslims.
Background on Tahawwur Rana
Tahawwur Rana is renowned for his associations with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley and was instrumental in the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks that claimed the lives of 166 people. Various locations were attacked, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and the Taj Mahal Hotel.
Rana is a physician and a businessman with alleged ties to the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence. Headley, in his testimony in court, identified that Rana had visited India on several occasions during 2007-2008 to evaluate possible targets in Mumbai.
While a US court cleared Rana in 2011 of US charges regarding the Mumbai attacks, he was convicted of supporting Lashkar-e-Taiba and helping another terror plot in Denmark. Recently, his petition was rejected by the US Supreme Court.
Rana’s role in the Mumbai attacks has been a thorn in US-India relations. In a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi, President Trump acknowledged approving Rana’s extradition, saying, “Today, I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters and one of the very wicked people of the world, having to do with the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack to face justice in India.”
