In a big move supporting India, the United States administration has requested a California court to deny a plea by the Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, in which he has challenged his extradition to India in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. The President Joe Biden-led government reiterated that Rana must be extradited to India.
Rana has been accused of participation in the planning and execution of the devastating 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
This development is a result of years of deft diplomacy and resolute legal recourse taken by PM Modi led government. Under PM Modi, India has been persistently ensuring all those behind Mumbai terror attacks and other terror attacks in India are brought to book. Indian EAM Jaishankar & diplomats are working hard at the UN & all global forums, platforms to ensure terrorists are arrested & face the law for their crimes.
India has been trying for extradition of Rana and in May, a US court had approved the extradition of Rana to India where he is wanted for his alleged role in the dastardly terror attacks. Rana is currently lodged into the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles, PTI reported.
Judge Jacqueline Chooljian, while allowing Rana’s extradition to India, had said that he has been charged in India with waging war against the state, committing terrorist acts and murder, among other provisions. She noted that all of the offences are extraditable ones as per the treaty between the US and India.
In response to Rana’s plea, US Attorney for Central District of California E Martin Estrada asserted that contrary to Rana’s claims of being unaware of the Mumbai attacks, a 2009 intercept revealed that Rana informing Headley that he was warned about the imminent Mumbai attacks by a co-conspirator.
In response to an extradition request from India in 2020, Rana was detained in the US for his involvement in the attacks, in which 10 Pakistani terrorists besieged Mumbai for more than 60 hours, killing more than 160 people, including six Americans. The Biden administration had supported the move.
In May, the US court consented to the Indian request, through the US government for Rana’s extradition.
See Also: https://indiadiplomacy.in/pm-modi-calls-on-sco-to-combat-terrorism/
