US Supreme Court Clears Extradition of Mumbai Attack Convict Tahawwur Rana to India

The US Supreme Court on Saturday cleared the way for the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a key figure in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, to India. The court dismissed Rana’s final legal petition against his extradition, effectively ending his battle to avoid being sent to India. This ruling comes after a series of legal setbacks for Rana, including the rejection of his case by several lower courts, including the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco.

India has long sought Rana's extradition, as he is accused of providing logistical support to David Coleman Headley, one of the primary conspirators behind the attacks. Despite being acquitted on related charges in a US court, Rana faces charges in India related to his role in the attacks, including conspiracy and forgery charges.

Rana's petition to the US Supreme Court, filed in November 2023, was denied on January 21, 2025. US Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar argued against the petition, stating that the charges against Rana in India were not covered by the prior US case. Specifically, she pointed to India’s forgery charges, which involved fraudulent documents linked to Rana’s attempts to open an office in India. The US government's stance was that Rana’s legal acquittal in the US did not preclude him from facing trial in India for additional charges.

Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. He was convicted in connection to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, where 166 people, including six Americans, were killed by 10 Pakistani terrorists in a series of coordinated assaults on several locations across Mumbai.​