India working out logistics for extradition of 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana: MEA
Tahawwur Rana is a childhood friend of David Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani-origin and one of the main conspirators of the Mumbai attacks
NEW DELHI: India is in touch with American authorities to work out modalities for the extradition of terror convict Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, following the US Supreme Court’s rejection of his appeal, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said on Friday.
The US Supreme Court denied Rana’s petition against his extradition on January 21, paving the way for him to be sent to India, where he is wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his role in planning and executing the terror attacks in Mumbai by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) that killed 166 people.
Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani-origin, had earlier unsuccessfully appealed against his extradition in lower courts in the US. Following his appeal filed in the Supreme Court in November, the US solicitor general had filed a response urging that it be rejected.
“I think from recent developments you would be aware that Mr Rana has exhausted all legal avenues in the US with the US Supreme Court also dismissing his appeal,” Misri told a media briefing.
“Therefore, we are now in touch with US authorities to work on the logistics of his surrender to Indian authorities. We’ll update you as soon as we hear further on this particular matter,” he said in response to a question.
Rana, a former doctor in the Pakistan Army, moved to Canada in 1997 and established an immigration consultancy. After becoming a Canadian citizen in 2001, he moved to Chicago to expand his immigration consultancy. He was detained in the US less than a year after the 2008 Mumbai attacks and subsequently given a 14-year prison term for conspiracy to provide support to a terror plot in Denmark and giving material support to the LeT.
He is a childhood friend of David Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani-origin and one of the main conspirators of the Mumbai attacks. Headley was involved in carrying out a recce of Mumbai before the attacks by posing as an employee of Rana’s immigration consultancy.
Headley was arrested in the US in October 2009 and subsequently given a 35-year prison term.