Washington, D.C.: During the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Washington, D.C., the United States and India discussed bilateral cooperation in defense, trade and investment, energy security, technology innovation, multilateral collaboration, and people-to-people exchanges.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, “On multilateral cooperation, both United States and Indian leaders reaffirmed that the global scourge of terrorism must be fought and terrorist safe havens eliminated from every corner of the world. They committed to strengthening cooperation against terrorist threats from groups including Al-Qa’ida, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba to prevent heinous acts like the Mumbai attacks on 26/11 and the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021. Recognizing a shared desire to bring to justice those who would harm our citizens, the U.S. announced that the extradition to India of Tahawwur Rana has been approved.”
Notably, on Friday, February 14, the United States approved the extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India, where he is wanted for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs further stated, “The leaders called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks and ensure that its territory is not used to carry out cross-border terrorist activities. The leaders also pledged to work together to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors.”
India had long awaited the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana. The decision was confirmed by then-U.S. President Donald Trump following a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rana, 64, had exhausted all legal avenues to prevent his transfer. On January 21, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed his review petition, effectively ending his efforts to avoid being handed over to Indian authorities. His previous challenges were also rejected by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Tahawwur Rana’s Extradition to India Moves Forward After Supreme Court Ruling
Rana is accused of aiding reconnaissance efforts for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, in which 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists carried out coordinated assaults at multiple locations, killing 166 people, including six Americans.
His associate, Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, played a crucial role in planning the attacks by scouting potential targets. Headley later pleaded guilty in the U.S. and cooperated with authorities, providing key testimony against Rana.
Rana had argued that he was previously tried and acquitted in a U.S. court on charges related to the Mumbai attacks. However, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar refuted this claim, stating in a Supreme Court filing that India’s extradition request included charges not covered in the U.S. trial—such as forgery linked to establishing a branch of the Immigration Law Centre in India.
With the Supreme Court removing the final legal hurdle, attention now turns to finalizing the logistics of Rana’s transfer. He remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, awaiting further procedural steps before being handed over to Indian authorities.
