India “working closely” with US on extradition of Tahawwur Rana: MEA

India is working closely with the United States to complete the necessary formalities for the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday.

Speaking at the weekly briefing, Jaiswal stated, you would have seen President Trump’s comments regarding the extradition of Rana. The Joint Statement also reflects this sentiment. We are working closely with the US Government to complete the necessary formalities to allow for his extradition to India.”

Earlier on Thursday (local time), the US Supreme Court rejected the plea of the 26/11 Mumbai attack accused, Tahawwur Rana, seeking a stay on his extradition to India.

This decision comes days after former US President Donald Trump approved the extradition and said he would face justice during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Justice Elena Kagan on Thursday (local time) denied Rana’s application, requesting a stay on his extradition to India.

Tahawwur Rana had approached the United States Supreme Court seeking an emergency stay on his extradition to India. In his application, Rana argued that he would not survive long enough to be tried in India due to various reasons.

Rana, through an appeal, stated, “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.”

The accused in the 26/11 terror attacks claimed that if extradited to India, the likelihood is very high that he will be subjected to torture as he is a Muslim of Pakistani origin.

He stated that because of his Muslim religion, his Pakistani origin, his status as a former member of the Pakistani Army, the relation of the putative charges to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and his chronic health conditions, he is even more likely to be tortured than otherwise would be the case, and that torture is very likely to kill him in short order.

Tahawwur Rana is a known associate of Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the November 26 attacks in Mumbai in 2008.

A Pakistani-origin businessman, physician, and immigration entrepreneur, Rana has alleged connections with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Rana’s alleged role in facilitating the attacks has remained a point of contention between India and the United States for years.