US court approves extradition of 26/11 Mumbai attack accused Tahawwur Rana to India

WASHINGTON: A federal court in the United States has agreed to extradite Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian businessman of Pakistani-origin, to India. Rana is sought by India for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
The court's order, issued by US Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian, certifies Rana's extradition under the India-US extradition treaty.
The extradition decision comes slightly over a month before Prime Minister Modi's scheduled state visit to Washington DC, where he will be hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a state dinner on June 22.
Tahawwur Rana has been accused by India of participating in the planning and execution of the Lashkar terrorist attacks in Mumbai by collaborating with his childhood buddy David Coleman Headley, also known as "Daood Gilani," and others.
Rana was convicted in Chicago in 2011 of providing material support to the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which planned the Mumbai terror attack .
He was accused of allowing David Coleman Headley to open a branch of his Chicago-based immigration law business in Mumbai as a cover story and travel as a representative of the company in Denmark.
The court's 48-page order said that Rana should be extradited to India based on the extradition treaty between the two countries. After reviewing all the relevant documents and arguments presented during the hearing, the court certifies Rana's extraditability on the charges brought against him.
"The court has reviewed and considered all of the documents submitted in support of and in opposition to the request, and has considered the arguments presented at the hearing. Based on such review and consideration and for the reasons discussed herein, the court makes the findings set forth below, and CERTIFIES to the Secretary of State of the United States the extraditability of Rana on the charged offences that are the subject of the request," the order said.
India had initially filed a complaint on June 10, 2020, seeking Rana's provisional arrest for the purpose of extradition, a request that was supported and approved by the Biden administration. When asked about the case, a spokesperson for the State Department referred the query to the Department of Justice but expressed the United States' commitment to combating terrorism globally and its strong counterterrorism relationship with India.
(With inputs from agencies)
Watch Major breakthrough: US court approves extradition of 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana to India