Significant victory for India as US court approves extradition of 2008 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana

File Photo/PTI

In a significant legal victory for India, a US court in California has approved the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, accused in the horrific 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, to India where he is sought for his involvement in the attacks.

US Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian of the District Court of the Central District of California released a 48-page order on Wednesday, saying 62-year-old Rana "should be extradited to India" under the extradition treaty between India and the United States, PTI reported.

As many as 166 people, including six Americans, were killed during the attacks by the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists in November 2008.

The kin of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks have welcomed a Unites States Court's approval for the extradition of one of the accused Tahawwur Rana to India. They demanded that Rana be given death sentence or a strict punishment. Rana is currently in the federal lockup in Los Angeles.

One of the victim's father said that he was hopeful that the extradition and said that Rana's testimony will expose the role of Pakistan in the incident.

Devika Natwarlal, who claimed to be youngest eyewitness to the attack at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in November 2008 when she was just nine years' old, said, "I was shot in the right leg in the terror attack. Many people were killed in front of me."

"I have come to know that Rana will be brought to India. I am happy, but I'll be happier only if he is hanged to death or strict action is taken against him," the 24-year-old woman told PTI.

She said bringing Rana to India and keeping him in jail will not serve any purpose and more information should be gathered from him (about the terror attack).

"He (Rana) knew the attack was going to happen and people would be shot...ten terrorists come to our city and open fire," she said.

The woman said such a terrorist, who along with David Headley (Lashkar-e-Taiba operative) masterminded the plan (for the terror attack), should be punished.

"He should be punished, and punished in a way that no one tries to do something like this in our country or elsewhere," she added.

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Talking to PTI, Subhash Shinde (60), the father of State Reserve Police Force constable Rahul Shinde who was killed in the attack, said it is already known that Pakistan was behind the attack, but the extradition of Rana and his testimony will expose the neighbouring country one more time.

Rahul Shinde was among the first police personnel to enter the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in south Mumbai after the terrorists attacked it.

His father, who lives at Sultanpur in Maharashtra's Solapur district, said all those who were involved in the terror attack conspiracy should be brought to justice.

Exposing the whole conspiracy and punishing all the accused in the attack would be a tribute to the police officials and citizens killed in the attack, he said.

Welcoming the US court's approval of Rana's extradition to India, he said it will be an attempt to eradicate terrorism.

Sabira Khan (46), who was seriously injured in a taxi blast during the terror attack near Dockyard Road in south Mumbai, said all the accused persons and masterminds of the terror attack should be punished.

"I don't know much about Tahawwur Rana, but if he was involved in the conspiracy, he must be brought to justice," she said.

Even after 14 years of the incident, Khan's struggle is still on as she is unable to walk properly without support.

Khan said she has undergone 12 surgeries, spent lakhs of rupees on her treatment and is waiting for aid from the government. (With additional details from PTI)