Synopsis
The US Supreme Court has denied Tahawwur Rana's request to halt his extradition to India, where he faces charges related to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Rana, previously acquitted of supporting the attacks, had sought to prevent extradition due to fears of torture, but his legal options have been exhausted.Key Takeaways
- Tahawwur Rana's extradition to India has been denied.
- The Supreme Court ruled on his appeal on Monday.
- Rana was involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
- Concerns about torture were cited in his appeal.
- Rana's legal options have been exhausted.
Washington, April 7 (NationPress) On Monday, the US Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by Tahawwur Rana to prevent his extradition to India, where he faces legal repercussions for his involvement in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai that resulted in the deaths of 157 individuals.
The Supreme Court docket updated on Monday noted, “Application (…) denied by the Court.”
Rana attempted to block his extradition, expressing concerns about potential torture, referencing a previous case in the UK.
“A man convicted of money laundering was prevented from being extradited by a London court upholding his fears of torture. If that person could not be extradited to India because he was likely to be tortured, the petitioner is even more likely to be tortured and similarly should not be extradited,” stated Tillman J. Finley, Rana's attorney, in the application.
The application was previously declined by Justice Elena Kagan in March. Rana subsequently appealed to Chief Justice John Roberts, and the case was scheduled for a conference on Friday.
The justices’ decision was posted on Monday.
Rana is sought in India for aiding David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American who was convicted by a US jury for scouting targets attacked by Lashkar-e-Tayyeba terrorists in 2008.
While he was acquitted of providing material support for the attacks, he was found guilty on two other counts and sentenced to over 10 years in prison.
Due to health issues following the COVID-19 pandemic, he was released from prison, but was later rearrested for extradition to India.
Headley managed to secure a guarantee against extradition through a plea agreement with US authorities.
Rana had appealed his extradition and has now exhausted all legal avenues after his appeal to the chief justice was rejected.
President Donald Trump announced his extradition to India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House in February.
Following this announcement, Rana approached the Supreme Court to block his extradition.
It remains unclear when he will be on a flight to India.
