Tahawwur Rana seeks US Supreme Court’s intervention to halt extradition to India

Tahawwur Rana the accused in the 2611 Mumbai terror attacks has filed a fresh request with US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts seeking to stop his extradition to India according to ANI This follows the rejection of his earlier review petition by Justice Elena Kagan earlier this monthAs per ANI Ranarsquos application has been distributed to the Supreme Court judges for consideration at a conference scheduled for April 4 2025 according to information published on the US Supreme Courtrsquos website In his renewed application Rana has requested an emergency stay on his extradition to IndiaPetitioner Tahawwur Rana has renewed his Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus previously addressed to Justice Kagan and requests that the renewed application be directed to Chief Justice Roberts the appeal states as reported by ANIJustice Elena Kagan had earlier denied Ranas petition seeking to block his extradition In his appeal Rana argued that his health is in a critical state and that he may not survive long enough to face trial in India He claimed that extradition would place him at high risk of torture and death due to his religious background military history and alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacksIf a stay is not entered there will be no review at all and the US courts will lose jurisdiction and the petitioner will soon be dead Ranarsquos appeal stated He further argued that his identity as a Muslim of Pakistani origin and a former member of the Pakistani Army makes him highly vulnerable to torture if extradited to India He claimed that the charges against him are tied to the 2008 Mumbai attacks which would further increase the likelihood of severe mistreatmentRana also highlighted his deteriorating health as a significant concern He suffers from a 35 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm that is at immediate risk of rupture Parkinsons disease accompanied by cognitive decline and a mass indicative of bladder cancer He stated that his medical condition makes him extremely vulnerable and that extradition would be akin to sending him into a hornets nest where he would be targeted due to religious and national animosityEarlier in February US President Donald Trump announced Ranas extradition to India asserting that he would face justice Trump made the announcement during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their bilateral meetingRana is a close associate of David Coleman Headley the PakistaniAmerican terrorist who played a key role in planning the 2611 Mumbai terror attacks Headleyrsquos intelligence gathering and coordination with LashkareTaiba LeT and Pakistanrsquos InterServices Intelligence ISI were instrumental in executing the deadly attack that left 166 people deadA Pakistaniorigin businessman physician and immigration entrepreneur Rana has long been accused of providing logistical support to Headley and facilitating the movement of LeT operatives His alleged involvement has been a point of contention between India and the United States for years with India pressing for his extradition to face trialRanarsquos legal team argues that extradition would violate his human rights due to the high risk of torture and mistreatment However US authorities maintain that his extradition is justified under the existing bilateral agreement with IndiaWith inputs from ANI