Washington, DC [US]: The United States Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, seeking to halt his extradition to India. Justice Elena Kagan on Thursday denied Rana’s emergency application for a stay on the extradition process.
Rana’s appeal argued that he would not survive long enough to face trial in India due to health and safety concerns. In his application, Rana stated, “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.”
The accused, a Pakistani-origin businessman, claimed that if extradited, he would likely face torture due to his Muslim faith, Pakistani heritage, and former service in the Pakistani Army. He further cited his alleged connections to the 2008 Mumbai attacks and chronic health issues as reasons for his appeal.
Rana referred to the Human Rights Watch 2023 World Report, which, according to him, documented systematic discrimination against religious minorities in India. He argued that the current Indian government is becoming increasingly autocratic and that there are “substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of torture” if handed over to Indian authorities.
In addition to his safety concerns, Rana highlighted his serious health problems, including a 3.5 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm at immediate risk of rupture, Parkinson’s disease with cognitive decline, and a suspected mass indicating bladder cancer. He argued that his deteriorating health made extradition equivalent to a death sentence.
Earlier, in February, former US President Donald Trump announced the decision to extradite Rana to India, stating that he would face justice there. The announcement was made during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Tahawwur Rana, a known associate of Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, is accused of aiding the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. His alleged links to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have been a long-standing point of contention between India and the United States.