The United States court grants Tahawwur Hussain Rana more time to oppose extradition to India in Mumbai attack case.
Tahawwur Rana
A US federal court has granted Tahawwur Rana, a 62-year-old Canadian businessman of Pakistani origin, an extension until November 9 to file a motion opposing his extradition to India in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
Rana had previously appealed the denial of a writ of habeas corpus by a US District Court in California, and his request for additional time has been approved by the Ninth Circuit Court, pushing the filing date to November 9. The government’s response is anticipated by December 11, 2023, following the recent court order.
Currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles, Tahawwur Rana faces charges related to the Mumbai attacks and is linked to Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, a key figure in the 26/11 strikes. The court had earlier granted a stay of extradition in August. He could appeal to be heard by the US Court of Appeals.
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Rana and Headley were charged and arrested on October 18, 2009, for conspiring to attack the offices of Jyllands-Posten, the newspaper that published controversial cartoons of Prophet Mohammad. During subsequent interrogations, it was discovered that Rana had traveled to Mumbai and stayed at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, one of the sites targeted by terrorists during the November 2008 attacks. His trial began on May 16, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois.
Rana contends that he visited India with his wife to interview individuals seeking immigration to Canada and the US, as part of his immigration consultancy business. Rana and his family maintain that he is a pacifist who has been deceived, defrauded, and framed by Headley.
The 2008 Mumbai terror attacks resulted in the tragic loss of 166 lives, including six Americans. India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) is actively investigating Rana’s role in the attacks, which were orchestrated by the Lashkar-e-Taiba group. The NIA has expressed its willingness to explore diplomatic avenues for Rana’s extradition to India.
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