According to reports cited by news agency PTI, Tahawwur Rana, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is anticipated to be transferred to India “shortly.” A multi-agency delegation from India has travelled to the US, where the necessary documentation and procedures are being finalised with US officials, according to Indian government sources.
A “very high possibility” that Rana “could be extradited shortly” was reported by PTI, citing sources. It is also understood, though, that because the extradition procedure is still in progress, he will not be travelling to India on Wednesday.
The Times of India story claims that officials in Delhi and Mumbai have been directed to covertly set up specific jail accommodations in accordance with US judicial norms regarding extradited persons.
For the first several weeks after his arrival, Tahawwur Rana is probably going to be held by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). According to the report, senior officials from the ministry of home affairs and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval are keeping a tight eye on the extradition procedure.
The significant event occurs only days after US Supreme Court justices rejected Rana’s request in an attempt to stop his extradition, putting him one step closer to being turned over to Indian authorities for trial in connection with the horrific 26/11 attacks.
Currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles, Rana, 64, filed a “Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus” with Associate Justice Elena Kagan of the US Supreme Court, the Circuit Justice for the Ninth Circuit, on February 27, 2025.
Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian businessman and former military physician, has a lengthy history of being linked to David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American terrorist who was one of the masterminds of the 2008 Mumbai bombings. For years, India and the US have been at odds over Rana’s alleged participation, which includes his ties to Pakistan’s ISI intelligence agency and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The extradition of Tahawwur Rana to the US”The application for stay addressed to The Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied,” the US Supreme Court stated in a ruling dated April 7, 2025. Rana submitted the emergency application to Chief Justice John Roberts on March 20.
This comes after Justice Elena Kagan rejected a similar proposal in March. At a conference on April 4, his most recent request was shared with the justices for their consideration.
Rana, one of the main suspects in the 26/11 attacks, argued against extradition by pointing to severe health problems. He stated that his declining health, which included an abdominal aortic aneurysm, cognitive deterioration from Parkinson’s disease, and a mass perhaps showing bladder cancer – would put his life at jeopardy if brought to India. He added that he was afraid of being singled out because of cultural and religious prejudice.
During a joint press event with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February, US President Donald Trump confirmed Rana’s extradition, stating that he would be transported to India to face punishment.
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