Washington [US]: The United States Supreme Court has denied a petition filed by Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani-origin businessman convicted for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, seeking to block his extradition to India. This decision clears a significant hurdle, potentially paving the way for Rana’s extradition.
The Supreme Court’s decision, issued on January 21, 2025, denied the writ of certiorari that Rana had filed in November 2024. A writ of certiorari is a legal document allowing a higher court to review decisions made by a lower court. Rana had sought to challenge a lower court’s ruling that approved his extradition to India.
Rana, a co-conspirator of David Headley, was previously convicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. His charges included conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in Denmark and providing material support to the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. In 2013, he was sentenced to 168 months in prison.
In 2020, a provisional arrest warrant was signed by a magistrate judge in California for his extradition to India. India’s charges against Rana include conspiracy to wage war, murder, forgery, and committing terrorist acts in connection with the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which claimed the lives of 164 people.
Rana has opposed his extradition at every step of the process. However, on May 16, 2023, a magistrate judge rejected his arguments and certified him as extraditable. Subsequently, his petition for a writ of habeas corpus was dismissed by the United States District Court for the Central District of California. In August 2024, the Ninth Circuit Court upheld this ruling, affirming that Rana could be extradited.
The Ninth Circuit’s decision stated:
“Court concludes that Rana is extraditable for the offenses for which extradition has been requested and on which the United States is proceeding and hereby certifies this finding to the United States Secretary of State as required under Title 18, United States Code, section 3184.”
With the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear Rana’s appeal, the final decision on his extradition now rests with the U.S. Secretary of State. Should the extradition proceed, Rana will face trial in India for his alleged involvement in the deadly 26/11 attacks.