US rejects Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana’s plea to stay extradition to India

The United States Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan on Thursday rejected Mumbai 26/11 terror attack accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana’s plea seeking stay on his extradition to India.

The Pakistani-Canadian doctor had argued in his plea that that he would not survive long enough to be tried in India due to various reasons.

He also claimed that he would be subjected to torture because of his religion, and country of origin, reported ANI. His plea to stay on extradition was rejected days after President Donald Trump assured his return to India.

“Tahawwur Rana will be going back to India, where he will face justice,” Donald Trump said in February last month at a press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

‘No review, and petitioner will be dead’: Rana said in his plea

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, in his plea, expressed concern that he would be subjected to torture and would suffer because of his poor health.

“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 plea.

The accused in the 26/11 terror attacks claimed that if extradited to India, the likelihood is very high that he will be subjected to torture as he is a Muslim of Pakistani origin.

He also expressed fear that he will unlikely survive the torture he will face because of his chronic health conditions. As per ANI report, he also cited the Human Rights Watch 2023 World Report, which documents the BJP-led government’s systematic discrimination and stigmatisation of religious minorities, particularly Muslims.

Mumbai-terror attack

Terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba targeted multiple locations in Mumbai, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) Railway station and Taj Hotel, on 26 November 2008. The ten members of the Pakistani-based Islamist militant organisation entered India via sea route and carried out 12 shooting and bombing attacks across the metro city.

Terrorist David Coleman Headley was one of the main conspirators of the November 26 attacks in Mumbai in 2008, and Tahawwur Rana is known as a close associate of Headley.