The United States has extradited Pakistani-Canadian national Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India to face trial for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, a move Washington termed a “critical step” in bringing the perpetrators of the carnage to justice.
Rana, 64, was handed over to Indian authorities on 9 April and arrived in India late Thursday. He will now stand trial for his alleged role in facilitating the attacks that left 166 dead, including six American citizens.
"The 26/11 terror attacks shocked the entire world and America has long supported India's efforts to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice," US Department of State spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated on Thursday.
Referring to the development, Bruce said, “The United States has long supported India's efforts to ensure those responsible for these attacks are brought to justice, and as President Trump has said, the United States and India will continue to work together to combat the global scourge of terrorism.”
Rana is now in India’s “possession and we are very proud of that dynamic,” Bruce said. She also urged the international community to revisit the horrors of the Mumbai attacks, which she said “shocked the entire world.”
“I encourage you to look them up and to find out exactly how horrible this was in the importance of this situation today,” she added.
Earlier, a spokesperson for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) described Rana’s extradition as “a critical step toward seeking justice” for the victims of the heinous attacks.
According to the DOJ, the convicted terrorist is facing ten criminal charges in India linked to his alleged involvement in the Mumbai plot, which was carried out by the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
“Rana’s extradition is a critical step toward seeking justice for the six Americans and scores of other victims who were killed in the heinous attacks,” the DOJ spokesperson reiterated in a statement.
A multi-agency Indian team, led by officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), had travelled to the United States to complete the paperwork and formalities necessary for Rana’s return.
Rana had made multiple unsuccessful legal attempts to halt his extradition. His final bid was rejected by the US Supreme Court, which dismissed his emergency plea on 4 April.
Previously lodged at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles, Rana had filed an “Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus” with Associate Justice Elena Kagan, who denied it in March.
Following that, Rana renewed his application and requested it be directed to Chief Justice John Roberts. However, the application was subsequently rejected.
In his appeal, Rana contended that he faced a grave risk of torture if extradited to India, citing his Pakistani origin and religious identity. His lawyers argued that “the likelihood of torture in this case is even higher though as petitioner faces acute risk as a Muslim of Pakistani origin charged in the Mumbai attacks.”
He also claimed that his deteriorating health made extradition akin to a “de facto death sentence.”
Medical records from July 2024, submitted as part of his plea, detailed multiple health conditions, including past heart attacks, Parkinson’s disease with cognitive decline, a suspected bladder cancer, stage 3 chronic kidney disease, chronic asthma, and several COVID-19 infections.
Despite these pleas, the US judiciary proceeded with the extradition, paving the way for Rana to be prosecuted in India.
Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, is widely known for his association with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the principal architects of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The development marks a significant milestone in India’s long-standing effort to bring to book individuals involved in the planning and execution of one of the most horrific terror attacks on Indian soil.
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