With legal decks being cleared for the extradition of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Tahawwur Rana, he is expected to be brought to India very soon. Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, has been linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist organisation. He played a role in facilitating the attacks by assisting his associate, David Coleman Headley, who conducted reconnaissance in Mumbai ahead of the terror attacks in 2008.
A few days ago, the US Supreme Court rejected Rana's final plea to block his extradition, clearing the way for his transfer to India. During PM Modi's US visit in February, US President Donald Trump publically mentioned the extradition issues and that the US is handing India a "very evil man".
Indian agencies have made special arrangements, in line with US judiciary recommendations for extradited individuals. The extradition marks a significant step for India in its pursuit of justice for the 26/11 attacks, which killed over 170 people.
Rana was arrested in the US in 2009 alongside Headley. In 2011, a Chicago federal jury convicted him of providing material support to LeT and involvement in a plot to attack a Danish newspaper (the Jyllands-Posten case).
He served a 14-year sentence and was released from a California prison in 2020 after less than seven years, partly due to health issues. However, India sought his extradition to face trial for his alleged role in the 26/11 attacks, leading to his re-arrest in Los Angeles in 2020 at India's request.