26/11 Suspect Tahawwur Rana Transported to India via Charter Flight: Sources

 

26/11 Suspect Tahawwur Rana Transported to India via Charter Flight: Sources

This development follows the US Supreme Court's dismissal of Tahawwur Rana's appeal, which sought to halt his extradition to India. Sources indicate that Tahawwur Rana, charged in connection with the 2008 Mumbai attacks, is being transported to India on a chartered flight following the conclusion of his legal recourse in the United States. The aircraft will require refueling and is anticipated to arrive later tonight or early tomorrow morning.

This decision comes after the US Supreme Court turned down Rana's appeal, which was directed to the Chief Justice. The order from the Supreme Court issued on Monday stated, "The application for stay directed to The Chief Justice and referred to the Court is denied."

In March, the US Supreme Court had previously rejected a similar request. Rana had asserted in a US court that he was suffering from an abdominal aortic aneurysm that was at an immediate risk of rupture, cognitive decline related to Parkinson’s disease, and indicated potential bladder cancer. He claimed that he would not be able to live long enough to stand trial in India and expressed concerns about being harmed in India due to various forms of hostility based on national, ethnic, and cultural grounds.

In February, during a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was announced at a joint press event that Tahawwur Rana would be held accountable in India. He is associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, a major conspirator in the November 26 attacks in Mumbai in 2008. A businessman and physician of Pakistani descent, he is also recognized as an immigration entrepreneur. Reports suggest his links to the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pakistan's intelligence agency, known as ISI.

Rana was acquitted by a US jury of the charge related to providing material assistance for the attacks; however, he was convicted on two other charges and given a prison sentence exceeding 10 years. Following a decline in his health after the Covid pandemic, he was released from prison but was later rearrested to facilitate his extradition to India. Rana contested the extradition order, but he has since run out of legal avenues.