U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Tahawwur Rana's Bid to Block Extradition to India

The U.S. Supreme Court has denied an "emergency application" filed by Tahawwur Rana, a prime suspect in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, attempting to prevent his extradition to India. Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani descent, argued that his transfer to India would subject him to torture, citing concerns related to his Muslim faith and Pakistani origins.

In his petition, Rana argued that sending him to India would violate both U.S. law and the United Nations Convention Against Torture. He stated that there were substantial grounds to believe he would face torture if extradited. "The likelihood of torture in this case is even higher though as petitioner faces acute risk as a Muslim of Pakistani origin charged in the Mumbai attacks," the application asserted.

Rana also raised concerns about his health, claiming that his severe medical conditions would make extradition to India's detention facilities a "de facto" death sentence. His petition cited medical records from July 2024, which listed multiple "acute and life-threatening diagnoses.” His legal team warned that without a stay, the U.S. courts would lose jurisdiction over his case, and the petitioner would soon die. They argued that his extradition posed a grave risk due to his deteriorating health.

This comes after a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where Trump announced that Rana would be extradited to face justice in India. Prime Minister Modi described Rana as "very evil" and emphasised the importance of holding him accountable for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people. Rana, 64, has long been linked to David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American terrorist and one of the key conspirators behind the Mumbai attacks. The terror spree targeted eight locations across south Mumbai, with rescue operations concluding on November 29, 2008