Tahawwur Rana Approaches US Supreme Court against Extradition to India
NEW DELHI, Mar 6: The 26/11 Mumbai attack accused Tahawwur Rana, has appealed against his extradition order to India, citing health risks and likely torture in Indian jails.
Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian citizen, was convicted in the US for supporting the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and is wanted in India for his alleged role in facilitating the Mumbai attacks that killed over 174 people. His extradition has been a long-pending demand from India.
The US President Donald Trump confirmed Rana’s extradition to India during a press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House last month. “Tahawwur Rana will be going back to India, where he will face justice,” he said. PM Modi also expressed gratitude to Trump for taking the step.
However, Rana has now moved to the US Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort to stall his extradition, citing the risks of being tortured in India. He also cited his religion, Pakistani origins and human rights report to block his transfer.
Rana said he was a “walking time bomb” with numerous problems, including a bulging artery, Parkinson’s disease and possible cancer. “I will be tortured on the highest order since I am a Muslim of Pakistan origin,” he said.
After Trump’s announcement, government sources had expected that he could be brought to India within a few weeks. “Our jails are ready for Rana…We kept Ajmal Kasab, so this is not a security threat,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said.
Once brought to India, Rana is expected to be produced in a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, after which the NIA will seek his custody for questioning. The extradition is being touted as a big success for Indian agencies and the government.
“I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters (Tahawwur Rana) and one of the very evil people of the world, having to do with the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack to face justice in India,” Trump had said during the press conference with Modi.
Trump also said he and Modi would fight the threat emanating from radical Islam. “We agree that solid action must be taken to eliminate terrorism that originates on the other side of the border,” PM Modi said, taking a jibe at Pakistan which funds terrorist groups to create instability in India and adjoining countries, without directly referring to it.
Rana was inducted in October 2009. He was convicted for providing logistical support for a foiled attack in Denmark but was acquitted of terrorism activities in India. The district court sentenced Rana to 14 years imprisonment. Terrorist David Headley had also testified against Rana in court.
(Manas Dasgupta)
