Canadian businessman of Pakistan origin, Tahawwur Rana, has been granted extradition to India by a US federal court. The decision was authorised by US Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian in accordance with the US-India extradition agreement. The extradition is based on Rana's alleged involvement in the notorious 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
The 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which shook the world with their scale and brutality, claimed the lives of 166 people and left hundreds injured. India has accused Rana of collaborating with his childhood friend, David Coleman Headley, and others in planning and executing the terrorist operations that targeted multiple locations in Mumbai.
Rana's previous legal troubles began in 2011 when he was found guilty in Chicago of supporting the planning organisation behind the attacks, Lashkar-e-Taiba. Specifically, Rana was charged with allowing Headley to use his law firm's Mumbai office as a cover to travel to Denmark on official business.
Following a thorough evaluation of all relevant documents and arguments, the US court gave a 48-page judgement. It has determined that Rana should be extradited to India according to the extradition agreement between the two countries. The court has certified to the US Secretary of State that Rana can be extradited to face the charges brought against him by India.
India's request for Rana's provisional detention for extradition purposes was made in June 2020. It has received support from the Biden administration. The timing of the extradition decision is noteworthy, as it comes just over a month before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Washington, DC. During the visit, Prime Minister Modi is expected to meet with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
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