US SC denies Mumbai attacks mastermind Tahawwur Rana’s plea to stay extradition

NEW DELHI: The United States Supreme Court on Monday rejected the extradition stay request of Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed more than 170 people.
An order on the Supreme Court website noted that Rana’s renewed application has been “distributed for Conference of 4/4/2025” and “application” has been “referred to the Court.”
On Monday, a notice on the Supreme Court website said, “Application denied by the Court.”
Rana had submitted an “Emergency Application For Stay Pending Litigation of Petition For Writ of Habeas Corpus” on February 27, with Elena Kagan, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US and Circuit Justice for the Ninth Circuit.
Earlier, the 26/11 terror attacks accused alleged that his extradition to India would likely lead to his torture, given his status as a Pakistani-origin Muslim individual.
Rana, who holds Canadian citizenship and has Pakistani origins, faces charges in India for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks that resulted in over 174 fatalities. He was found guilty in the United States for providing support to the proscribed organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
India has been seeking his extradition for an extended period. In connection with the 26/11 attack, Rana is alleged to have assisted his associate David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani, who possessed US citizenship through his American mother and Pakistani father.
US authorities apprehended Headley in October 2009. Rana’s involvement reportedly extended beyond being cognisant of Headley’s connections to LeT, the Pakistan-based outlawed terrorist group. He actively supported Headley by providing him with false credentials, which enabled Headley to travel to India and scout potential targets for LeT’s 2008 operation.
Rana’s extradition was greenlit by US President Donald Trump last month.