The extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks accused Tahawwur Rana is likely to face further delays after he filed a final appeal on humanitarian grounds, sources said on Saturday.
The move comes despite US President Donald Trump announcing the extradition during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit earlier this week.
Sources indicated that after the US Supreme Court dismissed Rana's review petition, which cleared the way for his extradition, he filed a last-ditch appeal with a US appeals forum. This step may postpone his return to India by a few weeks.
Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, had previously served as a doctor in the Pakistan Army. In 2011, a federal jury in the United States convicted him of providing material support to the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which orchestrated the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The attacks on November 26, 2008, left 166 people dead, including 20 personnel from the police and security forces and 26 foreign nationals. Among the locations targeted were Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Taj Mahal Hotel, Oberoi Trident, and Nariman House.
During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi on February 13, President Trump said, "Today, I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters and one of the very evil people of the world (Tahawwur Rana), having to do with the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack to face justice in India. He is going back to India to face justice... We are giving a very violent man, it seems to me."
Trump also asserted that the United States and India will collaborate like "never before" to tackle the global threat of "radical Islamic terror."
Experts suggest that this legal manoeuvre by Rana will not affect the robust diplomatic ties between India and the United States. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed that India is currently working on the logistics for Rana's extradition.
Rana's connection to the 26/11 plot emerged through the testimony of Pakistani-American David Coleman Headley, a key conspirator in the Mumbai attacks.
Headley revealed that he conducted surveillance of targets in Mumbai during five visits between 2007 and 2008.
Also read: US backs India on 26/11 justice, presses Pak to act
He also disclosed that Rana facilitated his activities by helping him secure a five-year visa to India and establishing an immigration company to conceal his identity.
In 2011, while Rana was acquitted of direct involvement in the Mumbai attacks, the US court found him guilty of providing material support to LeT and aiding a terror plot in Denmark.
He was arrested in Chicago in October 2009 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to sources, Rana's extradition could shed new light on the involvement of Pakistani state actors in the 26/11 attacks.
India has pursued Rana's extradition for years due to his ties with LeT and Harkat-ul Jihadi Islami (HUJI) and his association with Headley.
On November 26, 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists infiltrated Mumbai by sea and launched coordinated attacks on high-profile locations, including the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, Leopold Cafe, Chabad House, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station.
The 60-hour siege resulted in significant casualties, including American, British, and Israeli nationals, and brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war.
The only surviving gunman from the attacks, Ajmal Amir Kasab, was hanged in November 2012 at Yerawada Jail in Pune.
Former Indian diplomats have lauded Modi's US visit as a "big success" that strengthens bilateral ties. Venu Rajamony, former ambassador to the Netherlands, remarked, "The joint statement makes a very impressive reading... The emphasis is on future-focused partnership."
The extradition of Rana, if completed, is anticipated to assist Indian probe agencies in exposing the involvement of Pakistani state actors behind the attacks and advancing the ongoing investigation into one of India's most devastating terrorist assaults.
Also read: US Supreme Court clears extradition of 26/11 attack convict Rana
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