Washington, DC [US]: 26/11 terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana has submitted an appeal to US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in an attempt to stop his extradition to India. This follows the recent rejection of his review petition by Justice Elena Kagan earlier this month.
According to details published on the US Supreme Court’s website, Rana’s request has been scheduled for a conference with Supreme Court judges on April 4, 2025. He has renewed his application, seeking a stay on his extradition.
“Petitioner Tahawwar Rana has renewed his Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus previously addressed to Justice Kagan and requests that the renewed application be directed to Chief Justice Roberts,” Rana’s appeal stated.
Earlier this month, Justice Kagan denied Rana’s plea to stay his extradition. In his latest application, Rana claimed that if extradited to India, his life would be at risk due to several factors, including his health and identity.
“If a stay is not entered, there will be no review at all, and the US courts will lose jurisdiction, and the petitioner will soon be dead,” Rana argued in his appeal.
Rana further claimed that being a Muslim of Pakistani origin, a former Pakistani Army member, and connected to the 2008 Mumbai attacks would make him highly vulnerable to torture if extradited to India. He added that his deteriorating health poses additional risks.
He cited multiple health concerns, including a 3.5 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm, Parkinson’s disease with cognitive decline, and a mass suggestive of bladder cancer. Rana insisted that these conditions place him at high risk of dying if subjected to mistreatment.
In February, former US President Donald Trump had announced Rana’s extradition to India during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their bilateral meeting.
Tahawwur Rana is closely associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the key conspirators behind the November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks.
A Pakistani-origin businessman and former physician, Rana has faced accusations of ties with the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI. His alleged involvement in facilitating the attacks has been a longstanding matter of dispute between India and the US.