US Supreme Court Rejects Tahawwur Rana’s Appeal Against Extradition to India in 26/11 Case
The United States Supreme Court has denied 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana’s plea seeking to halt his extradition to India, bringing him a step closer to facing trial in connection with the 2008 attacks.
Rana, 64, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, is currently being held at a federal detention center in Los Angeles. He is known to have close ties with David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American terrorist and one of the key plotters of the 26/11 attacks. Headley carried out reconnaissance missions in Mumbai under the guise of working for Rana’s immigration consultancy firm.
In February 2025, Rana filed an Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with Associate Justice Elena Kagan, who serves as the Circuit Justice for the Ninth Circuit. Justice Kagan rejected the application in early March.
Following this, Rana renewed the application and requested that it be presented to Chief Justice John Roberts. The US Supreme Court later listed the case for a conference on April 4, and on Monday, the court formally denied the application.
Rana was earlier convicted in the United States for his involvement in a planned terror attack in Denmark and for providing material support to the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which orchestrated the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans.
Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra told PTI that Rana had taken his case to the Supreme Court in an attempt to block his extradition. After Justice Kagan’s denial, the matter was taken to Chief Justice Roberts, who referred it to the full bench for consideration.
In his emergency filing, Rana argued that extraditing him to India would breach US law and international human rights treaties, particularly the UN Convention Against Torture. He claimed that, as a Muslim of Pakistani origin accused in a high-profile terrorism case, he faces a significant risk of torture if handed over to Indian authorities.
The application also cited his “serious medical issues,” stating that extradition could be tantamount to a “de facto death sentence” due to inadequate medical care in Indian prisons.
Rana’s petition for a writ of certiorari—relating to his original habeas corpus plea—was previously denied by the Supreme Court on January 21. The same day, newly appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
On February 11, 2025, the State Department formally approved Rana’s extradition to India, acting under the US-India Extradition Treaty. A day later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington for high-level talks, including a joint press conference with then-President Donald Trump.
During that press conference, President Trump confirmed the extradition approval, describing Rana as “very evil” and stating that he would “face justice in India.”
Rana’s legal team subsequently requested the State Department to release the full administrative record used to justify his extradition and sought any assurances regarding his treatment in India. However, according to the application, the US government declined to provide those details.
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were among the deadliest terrorist assaults in India’s history. Ten armed terrorists from Pakistan unleashed coordinated attacks across Mumbai, targeting high-profile locations, including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and the Jewish center Nariman House, resulting in a siege that lasted over 60 hours.
Rana’s extradition marks a significant development in India’s ongoing pursuit of justice for the victims of the 26/11 attacks.
