With the case of Tahawwur Rana, Pakistani-origin Canadian wanted in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in India, currently moving through the higher courts in the US, India has planned to expedite efforts to seek his extradition as soon as possible.
While New Delhi is closely monitoring the developments in the higher judiciary of the US, diplomatic, investigation and security establishments in India are preparing a strategy to reach out to the Biden administration and the US courts with more documents and dossiers of evidence in this regard, sources told The Daily Guardian.
Sources also say that all developments related to Rana’s case in the US so far have been reviewed by the officials who are planning to fast-track the mission to bring the Mumbai terror attack accused to India so that he could face trial here.
Diplomats posted in Washington are learnt to have been in regular touch with the officials of the Biden administration in this regard, sources said. The Indian envoys have recently established contact with officials in the US State Department in Washington understandably in connection with New Delhi’s mission to extradite Tahawwur Rana to India. “Indian officials have given final shape to the documents containing points, strengthening our arguments in the case,” sources said.
In fact, a US court had stayed extradition of Rana to India in August this year, overriding an appeal of the Biden administration. He had appealed before the Ninth Circuit Court against an order by a US District Court in the Central District of California that denied the writ of habeas corpus.
The officials in New Delhi had termed it as normal legal process. The Biden administration had urged the Ninth Circuit court in California to deny the writ of habeas corpus filed by Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Rana who wanted a stay on extradition. The Biden administration had reiterated that he be extradited to India where he is sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
With the stay on the extradition proceedings of Rana until his appeal is finalised, his petition is moving in the higher US judiciary. In fact, in May this year, a US
court had approved Rana’s extradition to India where he has to face a trial in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Tahawwur Rana was arrested in the US on an extradition request by India for his role in the Mumbai attacks that killed 175 people, including six Americans. Indian authorities allege that Rana conspired with his childhood friend David Coleman Headley to assist the Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba in orchestrating the terror attacks. David Headley had pleaded guilty and testified against Rana.
According to sources, while the Indian embassy in Washington is closely following the developments and updating the foreign ministry in New Delhi on every single detail in this case, the officials here are making preparations to intensify the mission aimed at extraditing Rana to India. The Biden administration has assured India of all possible help and cooperation in Rana’s extradition, sources said.
According to sources, what will help India to make its case stronger is the clinching evidence that is there in the fifth chargesheet filed by Mumbai police’s crime branch in the 26/11 terror attacks case in September this year. The authorities named Rana and others in the 405-page document filed by the crime branch Mumbai.
Sources said that the proofs filed in the Mumbai court by crime branch are enough to establish that Rana used his immigration entity in the US to forge and make documents that were used by 26/11 terrror attacks’ mastermind David Headley in conducting recce for the Mumbai attacks.
Headley had said that Rana was his associate and a Pakistani native who operated an immigration business in Chicago and that Rana was that he was an operative of LeT.