26/11 ‘Plotter’ Tahawwur Rana On Flight To India After Extradition

Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is being flown to India after extradition from the U.S. on a special aircraft expected to land on Wednesday night or early on Thursday after a refuelling stop, sources said.

This development follows the US Supreme Court’s rejection of Tahawwur Rana’s final petition seeking a stay on his extradition to India.

“The application for stay addressed to The Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied,” the court stated in its order issued Monday. A similar plea by Rana had previously been dismissed in March.

In his appeals, Rana had cited serious health concerns, including an abdominal aortic aneurysm, cognitive decline from Parkinson’s disease, and a suspected case of bladder cancer.

He argued that his deteriorating health would prevent him from surviving a trial in India. He also claimed he would be unfairly targeted in India due to his nationality, religion, and background.

Extradition Confirmed In February

The extradition was first confirmed publicly during a joint press conference in February, when U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Rana would be brought to justice in India.

Rana, a Pakistani-origin businessman, physician, and immigration services entrepreneur, is known to be an associate of Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley—one of the primary conspirators behind the November 26, 2008, attacks in Mumbai.

Links With ISI, LeT

Rana is believed to have links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

While a US jury acquitted him of directly supporting the Mumbai attacks, he was convicted on two other terror-related charges and sentenced to over ten years in prison.

Following a health-related release during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was re-arrested for extradition to India. After a prolonged legal battle, his final challenge has been denied, clearing the way for his return to face charges in India.

(With inputs from IBNS)