The United States Supreme Court has dismissed a plea filed by 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana, seeking a stay on his extradition to India.
Justice Elena Kagan on Thursday rejected Rana's request for an emergency stay, effectively clearing the way for his extradition.
The Pakistani-origin Canadian national had argued that he would not survive long enough to stand trial in India, citing health concerns and fears of persecution due to his Muslim faith and Pakistani origins.
“If a stay is not entered, there will be no review at all, and the US courts will lose jurisdiction, and the petitioner will soon be dead,” Rana stated in his appeal.
Rana further contended that he faced a high likelihood of torture if extradited to India, where he claimed to be at risk due to his nationality, religion, former service in the Pakistani Army, and the charges against him related to the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Also read: 26/11 accused Rana seeks extradition stay, fears torture
He cited the 2023 Human Rights Watch World Report, which he claimed documented systematic discrimination against religious minorities, particularly Muslims, under the current Indian government.
Additionally, he highlighted his deteriorating health, revealing that he suffers from a 3.5 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm at risk of rupture, Parkinson’s disease with cognitive decline, and a mass suggestive of bladder cancer.
He insisted that being sent to India would expose him to “national, religious, and cultural animosity.”
Rana’s extradition was announced by former US President Donald Trump during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February, following their bilateral meeting.
A known associate of Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the key conspirators of the 26/11 attacks, Rana is alleged to have links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
His role in facilitating the Mumbai attacks has been a longstanding matter of contention between India and the United States.
Also read: 26/11 accused Rana's extradition halted by humanitarian appeal: Report
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