US SC denies 26/11 attack accused Tahawwur’s plea

New York: The United States Supreme Court has rejected Tahawwur Rana’s emergency appeal seeking a stay on his extradition to India, bringing the 64-year-old accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks a step closer to being handed over to Indian authorities.

Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently held at a detention centre in Los Angeles. He is linked to David Coleman Headley, a key conspirator of the 26/11 attacks, who conducted reconnaissance in Mumbai while posing as an employee of Rana’s immigration consultancy.

On February 27, Rana had filed an “Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation” before Justice Elena Kagan, who denied it in March. He then renewed the application to Chief Justice John Roberts, but on April 4, the Court collectively declined to intervene.

Rana argued that his extradition violates US laws and international conventions, citing a risk of torture in Indian custody due to his Pakistani-Muslim identity and severe medical conditions. His counsel also accused the US government of withholding key documents about the extradition decision and any assurances from India regarding his treatment. Rana was earlier convicted in the US for providing material support to the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. His extradition was authorised by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on February 11, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington.

With the Supreme Court’s denial, Rana’s legal options have significantly narrowed, moving him closer to trial in India for his alleged role in the deadly attacks that claimed 166 lives.