US Supreme Court denies Tahawwur Rana’s plea against extradition to India

The US Supreme Court on April 7 denied the application of Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, pleading against his extradition to India, where he is sought in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack case.

“Application (24A852) denied by the Court,” the US Supreme Court said April 7. Last Friday, the nine-judge bench of the US Supreme Court held a conference on Rana’s application that was referred to the bench by Chief Justice John Roberts.

“We have no comments” said an attorney for Rana when reached by phone after the Supreme Court made its decision public.

Unless Rana and his legal team come out with another legal option to appeal, the Department of Justice, through the State Department, would now reach out to the Indian Government to start the process of extradition of the master mind of the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008.

Rana’s application, which was originally filed on February 27 was denied by Supreme Court Justice Elana Kagan on March 6. The same day Rana filed the same application urging that it be submitted to the Chief Justice for reconsideration. Roberts sent it to the full bench on March 19. A conference on this was held on April 4.

During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US, President Donald Trump announced that he has approved the long-awaited extradition of Rana, a now 64-year-old Pakistani Canadian. Secretary of State Marco Rubio communicated the same to the US Supreme Court. Rana is currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.