Thu Mar 06 12:15:36 UTC 2025: ## 26/11 Attack Accused Seeks US Supreme Court Intervention to Halt Extradition to India
**New Delhi, March 6, 2025** – Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has filed an emergency appeal with the United States Supreme Court to prevent his extradition to India. Rana, a Pakistani-American businessman, argues that his deteriorating health and the risk of torture in India make extradition a death sentence.
In his filing, Rana cites serious health concerns, including a potentially fatal abdominal aortic aneurysm, Parkinson’s disease, and a suspected bladder cancer. He claims that his Muslim faith, Pakistani origin, and alleged past association with the Pakistani army, coupled with the high-profile nature of the 26/11 case, would put him at extreme risk of torture in India. He bolsters this claim by referencing the Human Rights Watch 2023 World Report, which documented alleged discrimination against religious minorities in India.
Rana contends that the Indian government’s alleged increasingly autocratic nature further exacerbates the risk. He states that he cannot be sent to a place where he would face “national, religious, and cultural animosity.”
This appeal follows the Supreme Court’s recent rejection of a previous review petition and President Donald Trump’s subsequent approval of Rana’s extradition, referring to him as “very evil.” Rana is a known associate of David Coleman Headley, a key conspirator in the Mumbai attacks. Rana’s alleged involvement in facilitating the attacks has been a point of contention between India and the U.S. for years. His alleged ties to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) further complicate the matter. The Supreme Court’s decision on Rana’s emergency stay request is now pending.
First Piper 