Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana appeals to US Supreme Court to reconsider extradition

Tahawwur Rana, wanted in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has appealed to the US Supreme Court to reconsider the lower courts’ decision to extradite him to India. Rana’s lawyer cited the principle of ‘double jeopardy’ (double charging) and said that a person should not face trial twice for the same crime. Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, is facing extradition demands by India as he is wanted in the 2008 Mumbai attacks case.

After losing the legal battle in several federal courts, including the US Court of Appeals for the Northern Circuit in San Francisco, Rana had filed a “petition for writ of certiorari” in the US Supreme Court on November 13. The US Solicitor General, Elizabeth B. Preloger, urged the Supreme Court on December 16 to reject the petition. However, Rana’s lawyer Joshua L. Dratel challenged this recommendation on December 23 and urged the court to accept the petition.

This could be Rana’s last legal chance to avoid extradition. The court has scheduled a hearing for both the parties in the matter on January 17. Rana, currently lodged in a Los Angeles jail, is accused of being involved in the conspiracy of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Rana is linked to Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, who was one of the key conspirators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.