The United States Supreme Court has refused to stop the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The attacks killed more than 170 people.

Rana had asked the US Supreme Court for an emergency stay on his extradition. However, on Friday, the court rejected his plea, which means he can now be sent to India to face trial.

Why did Rana appeal?

Rana had argued that if he was sent to India, his chances of survival would be very low. He listed several reasons in his petition, including concerns about his safety. His application mentioned, "If 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."

Rana also claimed that he might be tortured in India because he is a Pakistani-origin Muslim. However, the US government approved his extradition last month, and now, with the Supreme Court rejecting his request, India will soon have him in its custody.

Trump announced extradition decision

US President Donald Trump had announced Rana’s extradition decision last month. During a joint press conference at the White House with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump said, "We are giving a very violent man (Tahawwur Rana) back to India immediately. There are more to follow because we have quite a few requests. We work with India on crime, and we want to make things better for India."

Trump’s statement indicated that the US is actively working with India on criminal matters and that more extraditions could follow.

Who is Tahawwur Rana?

Tahawwur Rana, originally from Pakistan, holds Canadian citizenship. He was found guilty in the US of helping the banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India has wanted to extradite him for a long time because of his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Rana is accused of assisting his associate David Coleman Headley, also known as Daood Gilani. Headley, who has both US and Pakistani heritage, was arrested by US authorities in 2009.

Rana reportedly knew about Headley’s links to LeT. He helped Headley by providing false documents, allowing him to travel to India and find potential attack locations for LeT’s 2008 operation.

With the US Supreme Court rejecting his appeal, Rana is now set to be extradited to India, where he will face legal proceedings for his alleged role in the deadly attacks.

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