- विज्ञापन -
Washington: Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has filed a request with the US Supreme Court Chief Justice, John Roberts, to halt his extradition to India. This request follows the rejection of his review petition earlier this month by US Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. The application has been scheduled for discussion during a conference on April 4, 2025, as per the details on the US Supreme Court’s website.
Rana has renewed his request for a stay on his extradition, citing concerns about his safety and health. His appeal to the Supreme Court states that he is seeking to prevent his extradition until his petition for habeas corpus is resolved. Rana had previously argued that without a stay, he would not survive long enough to be tried in India due to his medical conditions and the risk of torture.
He claims that if extradited, he would likely face torture due to his Muslim religion, Pakistani origin, past association with the Pakistani Army, and links to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He argues that these factors, along with his health issues, make him particularly vulnerable, and that torture could lead to his death.
Rana also highlighted his deteriorating health, citing conditions such as a 3.5 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm, Parkinson’s disease with cognitive decline, and a mass suggestive of bladder cancer. He contends that sending him to India would place him in a perilous situation due to animosity towards him based on his nationality, religion, and cultural background.
Earlier in February, US President Donald Trump announced that Rana would be extradited to India, where he would face justice, a statement made during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rana, a Pakistani-origin businessman and physician, is a known associate of David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Rana’s alleged involvement with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been a longstanding point of dispute between India and the US.
