US court stays extradition of Mumbai terror attacks accused Tahawwur Rana
A US court has ordered a stay on the extradition of Tahawwur Rana to India. The Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman faces a trial for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and has been linked to terrorist David Coleman Headley - one of the main conspirators behind the incident. The Biden administration had earlier urged a California court to deny the writ petition filed by Rana.
“The extradition of Rana to India is stayed pending the conclusion of his appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit," Judge Fischer said in the order issued on August 18. The 62-year-old has appealed before the Ninth Circuit Court against the order by a US District Court in the Central District of California that denied the writ of habeas corpus. The judge said that Rana had ‘certainly raised serious legal questions’ and his position ‘could very well be found to be correct on appeal’.
The court however did not find that Rana “has made a strong showing that he is likely to succeed on the merits". “There is value in compliance with India’s extradition request, but Rana’s extradition proceedings have been going on for more than three years, which suggests that the process has not been rushed so far. Otherwise, the public interest, if anything, favours Rana," the judge wrote.
The court has asked Rana to submit his argument before October 10 and the US government has been asked to submit its response by November 8. Meanwhile the National Investigation Agency is making efforts to bring Rana back to India through diplomatic channels. 10 Pakistani terrorists had laid siege for more than 60-hour to key sites in late 2008, attacking and killing 166 people in Mumbai.
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