WASHINGTON, February 14: US President Donald Trump has declared that his administration has sanctioned the extradition of the “very dangerous” Tahawwur Rana, who is sought by Indian investigative agencies for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, “to face justice in India”.
Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani descent, is currently being held at a metropolitan detention facility in Los Angeles. He is known to have connections with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the principal conspirators behind the 26/11 attacks.
During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting the US, President Trump stated on Thursday, “I am happy to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters and very evil individuals connected to the horrific Mumbai terrorist attack, to face justice in India. He is returning to India to face justice.”
The US Supreme Court authorized Rana’s extradition in January after dismissing his review petition related to the case.
Last month, India indicated that it was collaborating with US authorities for the prompt extradition of Rana.
“The US Supreme Court on January 21 declined to hear a petition from the accused. We are now coordinating with the US side on procedural matters for the swift extradition of the individual accused in the Mumbai terror attack,” stated External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
On November 26, 2008, a group of 10 Pakistani terrorists executed a coordinated assault on a railway station, two luxury hotels, and a Jewish center, having entered India’s financial capital via the Arabian Sea. The nearly 60-hour attack resulted in the deaths of 166 people, causing widespread shock throughout the country and nearly leading India and Pakistan to the brink of war.
In November 2012, Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of the Pakistani group, was executed in Yerawada Jail in Pune. India has been urging Pakistan to hold accountable those responsible for the heinous attack, but the trial of the defendants has made little progress thus far. (PTI)
