Sat Jan 25 18:50:46 UTC 2025: ## US Supreme Court Clears Path for Extradition of 26/11 Mumbai Attack Accomplice Tahawwur Rana to India
**Washington D.C./Mumbai –** The US Supreme Court has rejected the final appeal of Tahawwur Rana, paving the way for his extradition to India to face charges related to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian, was convicted in the US in 2013 for providing material support to terrorism, but has fought extradition to India ever since.
Rana is accused of aiding David Headley, a Pakistani-American Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, in reconnaissance for the attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans. The accusations include helping Headley obtain an Indian visa using false documents and assisting in the planning of attacks on targets such as the National Defence College and Chabad Houses in Mumbai. Prosecutors also allege Rana praised the terrorists and their actions.
The US District Court first ordered Rana’s extradition in May 2023. After exhausting appeals in lower courts, including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, his petition to the Supreme Court was denied on January 21st.
This decision marks a significant victory for India’s efforts to bring Rana to justice. Advocate Ujjwal Nikam, the public prosecutor in the Mumbai case, believes Rana’s extradition could reveal further details about Pakistani involvement, including potential links to the country’s security apparatus. He cited Headley’s testimony and evidence presented in the Mumbai court as supporting this claim.
Advocate Aniket Nikam anticipates that Indian officials will soon travel to the US to take Rana into custody and begin the extradition process. A new case and charge sheet are expected to be filed upon his arrival in India. The timing of Rana’s arrival remains unclear, but the legal obstacles to his extradition have now been removed.
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