26/11 Mumbai Attack Accused Tahawwur Rana Set To Be Extradited To India As US Supreme Court Rejects Stay Plea

The United States Supreme Court has rejected the emergency plea filed by Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, seeking a stay on his extradition to India, reported ANI.

The court, in its brief order dated 7 April 2025, stated, "The application for stay addressed to The Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied."

Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman, had filed an emergency application with Chief Justice John Roberts on 20 March 2025, citing severe health concerns and threats to his safety in India.

His plea was previously rejected in March by Justice Elena Kagan. The matter was circulated among the justices and discussed in a conference on 4 April.

Rana’s legal team argued that extraditing him would be a violation of his rights given his precarious medical condition. He suffers from an abdominal aortic aneurysm at immediate risk of rupture, Parkinson’s disease with cognitive decline, and a suspected bladder cancer.

He claimed he would not survive long enough to stand trial in India and described the potential extradition as being thrown into a “hornet’s nest,” fearing religious and cultural animosity.

His plea came in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s February announcement confirming Rana’s extradition during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He would face justice, Trump had declared.

Rana is a known associate of David Coleman Headley, the Pakistani-American operative of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) who played a central role in planning the 26/11 attacks.

Rana’s alleged links with LeT and Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) have made him a longstanding figure of interest in India’s investigation into the attacks that killed over 170 people in Mumbai. His extradition is now expected to proceed.

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