India is intensifying its partnership with the United States to finalize the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a key figure accused in the devastating 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced today. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing reporters at a weekly briefing on Friday, underscored the collaborative efforts underway to bring Rana to justice in India, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s long-standing pursuit of accountability for the 2008 assault that claimed 166 lives.
“We’re working hand-in-hand with the U.S. government to wrap up the procedural steps needed for Tahawwur Rana’s extradition,” Jaiswal said. “You’ve likely noted President Trump’s remarks on this matter, echoed in the Joint Statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent U.S. visit. Our teams are focused on ensuring this process moves forward smoothly and swiftly.”
The announcement follows a critical development on Thursday, March 6, when the U.S. Supreme Court, through Justice Elena Kagan, rejected Rana’s last-ditch plea for an emergency stay on his extradition. This decision cemented a path cleared earlier by former President Donald Trump, who, during a joint press conference with PM Modi in February, greenlit Rana’s transfer, declaring, “He’s going back to India to face justice.” Trump’s approval, coupled with the Supreme Court’s ruling, has dismantled the final legal barriers Rana had erected in the U.S.
Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, had sought to halt his extradition through an urgent Supreme Court filing, claiming dire consequences awaited him in India. In his appeal, the 64-year-old former physician and businessman argued that his Muslim faith, Pakistani roots, past service in the Pakistani Army, and chronic health issues would expose him to torture—and likely death—if handed over. “The likelihood is very high that I will be tortured, and it will kill me swiftly,” Rana contended, warning that U.S. courts would lose oversight once he was extradited, leaving him without recourse.
The Supreme Court’s swift dismissal of his request on March 6 affirmed prior rulings from lower U.S. courts, including the Ninth Circuit’s 2023 decision upholding the extradition under the 1997 India-U.S. Extradition Treaty. Rana’s arguments, which also revisited his 2011 acquittal in Chicago on direct Mumbai attack charges, failed to sway justices, aligning with the U.S. State Department’s stance that his extraditable offenses in India differ from those previously adjudicated.
Tahawwur Rana’s name has been synonymous with the 26/11 Mumbai attacks since his arrest in Chicago in 2009. A known associate of David Coleman Headley—the Pakistani-American terrorist who scouted targets for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operation—Rana allegedly provided critical support. Indian authorities assert that Rana, through his immigration firm, First World Immigration Services, furnished Headley with a cover to conduct reconnaissance in Mumbai, facilitating the coordinated assault that ravaged the city’s landmarks, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, over three days in November 2008.
While Rana was convicted in 2011 in the U.S. for supporting LeT and a thwarted plot against a Danish newspaper, he was acquitted of direct involvement in the Mumbai attacks—a verdict India has contested as insufficient. Released in 2020 on compassionate grounds due to health concerns, Rana was swiftly re-arrested following India’s extradition request, reigniting a diplomatic and legal saga now nearing its climax.
The extradition push reflects deepening India-U.S. cooperation on counterterrorism, a theme underscored in the Modi-Trump Joint Statement. The leaders condemned Pakistan-based groups like LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Al-Qaeda, urging Pakistan to dismantle terrorist safe havens. “This is a shared commitment to justice for our citizens,” the statement noted, spotlighting Rana’s extradition as a tangible outcome.
MEA’s Jaiswal emphasized that logistical arrangements are in progress, with Indian agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), coordinating with U.S. counterparts. Sources indicate a team of NIA officers is poised to travel to Los Angeles—where Rana remains detained—to execute the handover, potentially within days of final U.S. approval. Preparations at Delhi’s Tihar Jail are also underway to house Rana upon arrival.
Rana’s extradition marks a breakthrough in India’s pursuit of the 26/11 masterminds, though challenges persist. David Coleman Headley, serving a 35-year U.S. sentence, remains beyond India’s reach despite repeated requests. Of the 65 extradition pleas India has lodged with the U.S., per Deputy Home Minister Nityanand Rai’s December 2024 Lok Sabha update, only 23 have been fulfilled since 2002—a statistic underscoring the complexity of such cases.
For now, India awaits the final procedural green light from the U.S. Secretary of State, a step that could see Rana on Indian soil imminently. As Jaiswal concluded, “We’ll keep you posted as this unfolds.” The nation watches, hopeful that a long-delayed reckoning for the 26/11 victims is at hand.