Three weeks after US President Donald Trump announced the extradition of 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana, there has been little progress. The process has been delayed further because Rana has approached the US Supreme Court for an emergency stay.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has confirmed that both India and the US are working on the logistics of his surrender and extradition. However, the timeline for this remains unclear. On January 21, the US Supreme Court rejected a review petition filed by Rana, making his extradition process more certain. However, his legal team continues to fight against it.

Key events in the extradition process

The extradition of 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana to India has been facing several legal hurdles despite multiple approvals from US authorities.

On January 21, 2025, the US Supreme Court rejected Rana’s petition that aimed to block his extradition. On the same day, the new US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, met with India's External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar. Then, on February 11, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, Secretary Rubio formally approved Rana’s extradition under US laws and the US-India extradition treaty.

When PM Modi arrived in Washington, DC, on February 12, he met with President Trump. On the same day, Rana’s legal team received an official notification confirming that his extradition had been approved. However, on February 13, Rana’s lawyers requested records related to the extradition process and details about any assurances given by India regarding his medical treatment, but the US government refused to share this information. In response, Rana’s legal team filed an emergency petition to stop his extradition. Despite this, Modi and Trump released a joint statement confirming that Rana would be handed over to India.

On February 14, the US government submitted a report stating that Rana’s claims of possible torture in India had been considered and that his extradition followed international legal standards. A few days later, on February 19, a US district court denied Rana’s request to halt the process, clearing the way for his extradition. However, he immediately filed an appeal and an emergency stay application with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which was also rejected on February 21.

The US government then agreed to delay his extradition only if he filed another request with the Supreme Court before February 28. As expected, Rana submitted an emergency plea on that date. On March 2, he strengthened his argument by referring to the case of arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, whose extradition was paused due to concerns about torture in India. Rana argued that he should receive the same consideration. Finally, on March 5, the US Supreme Court officially recorded his emergency plea, but a date for the hearing is yet to be decided.

What happens next? The US Supreme Court will now review Rana’s plea and decide whether to grant him a stay or allow his extradition to proceed. If the court rejects his plea, he will be sent to India, where he faces charges related to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people.

India has been pushing for his extradition for years, and now, with all lower courts rejecting his appeals, the Supreme Court remains his last hope. If the Supreme Court rules against him, his extradition could happen soon. However, if the court grants a stay, the legal battle could continue for a longer period.

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